Burdened With Glorious Possibilities: The FrostIron Collection
by Shi-Toyu
Summary: A series of unrelated drabbles and one-shots and whatever else for a partnership between zombified419 and myself. Predominately FrostIron AKA slash. Rating may vary, but listed as M to be safe. Entertainment guaranteed so long as you don't hold me to it. Any short has the potential of becoming a chaptered fic.
1. AngelDemon AU

A/N: Alright! So this is going to be a series of drabbles, mostly FrostIron as the name would suggest, inspired by prompts provided by zombified419, YOU, or myself. Zombie and I will each take the prompt and write a drabble from it, so please check her out as well! They will be posted at the same time and are sure to be a lot of fun!

Disclaimer: Neither of us own Marvel.

Prompt #1: Angel/Demon AU

Demon Dearest

It was supposed to have been an easy fight, like most of the 'villain of the week' encounters they'd been having since the Avengers were first formed. The team had fought against more world domination plots than they could honestly remember. Loki's invasion those six years ago apparently triggered every wannabe supervillain to try and do what he hadn't been able to. Thor moving permanently to Earth after Loki's death and the whole Dark Elf incident had helped, but the team was still so busy they'd had to start bringing in more heroes to help.

Tony oversaw Team Donut Hole. He had chosen the name specifically because he got a kick out of it every time Rogers or Fury called them to action. When constantly facing the possible end of the world, it was important to find the silver lining. Besides, Clint laughed just as hard as he did and had absolutely no right to judge after dubbing his own team The Wing Squad. LAME!

His minions consisted of some kid who had been bitten by a radioactive spider, a prepubescent gangbanger who could absorb and somewhat control electricity, and a girl who could control wind to fly or slice people to shreds. And, okay, they were all legal adults, but it didn't keep Tony from feeling like he was on babysitting duty most of the time. (Steve was so lucky that his team consisted of Falcon, Bucky, and the teleporting Kurt Wagner. He would never know Tony's pain.) At least he had Gear back in the lab to make cool gadgets with.

"So, uh, should we be calling for back up?" Static's voice came over the com system.

Tony barely even registered the question, calculating instead just how deep a pile of shit they were in. The Daughters of Darkness had just been some chick's punk group with basic magic and a penchant for destruction when the call had gone out for superhero assistance…nobody had mentioned they were going to summon the DEVIL. Not cool.

It turned out that the Devil was about three stories tall with glowing eyes and skin like lava. Black chunks of stone seemed to shift over a fiery interior with every move the Beast made. His head was elongated and skull-like with giant horns spiraling out from his temples like a bull. He roared his arrival to the sky, announcing his presence to any that may dare to challenge him. The sound managed to snap Tony out of his stunned daze.

"Static, Spidey, Whistle, I want to you get out of here and back to the Tower. Get in touch with SHIELD and get as many people out of the area as possible. Contact the other teams, all of them. Citizen evacuation is the top priority right now. Do NOT engage this thing."

He needed his brats out of there. Despite his near-constant exasperation with them, they were his team and Tony Stark always looked after his own. Getting civilians out of the area would be good, too. The Devil wasn't exactly known for making sure bystanders didn't get hurt. He'd already fried the group that brought him topside.

"What about you?"

He could tell by Parker's voice that he was hesitant to leave without their team leader. His protest sounded about ready to burst right out of his mouth. If he fought back against leaving, Static and Whistle would join right in and Tony would never get them out of the way before one or all of them got hurt. Those were losses he did _not_ find acceptable. He had a perfect record so far of never losing a teammate and he planned to keep it that way.

"I'm gonna keep him distracted, try and get us some help that'll actually do some good. We don't have time to argue over this, _go_!"

After a moment more the three young heroes reluctantly turned and fled, having learned long ago to trust their leader's judgment in times of absolute need. (It seemed, though, that they all had a tendency to completely ignore his orders any other time. Snot nosed brats.) As soon as they were out of the way, Tony fired off a few repulsor shots in the creature's direction. He had no disillusions that they would hurt the walking lava lamp of doom, but all he needed was a bit of attention.

"Yo, Satan! You miss me?"

Fiery eyes turned on him and it took him a moment to place the feeling as what Gandalf must have experienced when facing the Balrog. It also belatedly occurred to him that maybe he should have called for help _before_ getting this behemoth's attention. Well, too late for that now. A predatory grin stretched across the Devil's face as he eyed the Ironman suit up the block.

"Well, well, well…It looks like those witches did me more of a favor than I first thought. I had thought to wait a few more decades before claiming your soul, but I suppose there is no time like the present."

His voice was a deep growl, dark and powerful. The air around him seemed choked by smoke and Tony had to hold himself back from gagging. He definitely needed to get this guy some Tic-tacs.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I've always been a bit of a procrastinator. I'm afraid you're going to have to put off the claiming of my soul for a little bit longer."

The Devil chuckled with the sound of grating stone before grinning maniacally and holding out his hand. The stone-like skin of his arm shifted aside as a flaming stone slid from his body and into his palm. With an aggressive growl he lobbed the stone in Tony's direction. His repulsers came up almost on instinct and he fired at the flaming meteor. The stone shattered, sending a hail of smaller rocks to ping off of his suit. They left trails of fire in their wake and notices immediately started popping up on Tony's hub that the flames were eating through his suit like acid.

"Do you honestly belief that pathetic technology can protect you from me? You should know better than that after all this time…But it does not matter. You will have plenty of time to learn your lesson after I have dragged you back to Hell!"

This declaration was followed up quickly by another fireball thrown in the hero's direction. Tony shot out of the way only to be caught by one the Devil's outstretched limbs and slammed into the ground. He could feel the cement give way with his impact. Warning messages blared across his hub. Damn, that bastard was strong. He groaned and rolled over, pushing himself up out of the Ironman-sized crater in the street.

"JARVIS, I need a scan of the area. Get me to a church, the older the better."

"At once, Sir." A pause, "It appears that the oldest church in New York is Flushing, established 1697. Retrieving directions now."

Tony shot out of the crater, using his smaller size paired with his speed to dodge around the creature's flying limbs and into the air above him. As soon as he was clear he fired off a volley of missiles from his shoulder launchers, striking his enemy all across the torso. The Devil staggered backwards, but didn't fall. With that brief distraction he wheeled around and took off towards the church. He only had a few seconds before the Devil followed and the real destruction began.

Buildings passed in a blur and Tony pushed his repulsers as hard as possible. Timing was everything. If the Devil caught him before he reached the church, well, he'd be spending eternity in the Pitts of Hell for sure. He growled in annoyance as his left boot thruster stuttered and almost shorted out. Between trying to stay in the air and keeping an eye on the nightmare behind him, he completely missed the magical blast aimed for him until it was too late. Guess not all of the Daughters of Darkness were dead after all.

His suit crashed into a nearby building, shattering glass and causing property damage the entire way down as he fell. The concrete of the sidewalk cracked on impact and Tony groaned pitifully. Moments like these never failed to make him feel so _old_. He was so gonna be feeling this for the next few days. Hadn't there been times when he could be knocked around during a fight and still make it to breakfast in the morning? Steve was so lucky he had that serum going for him.

But there was no time for dwelling on such things. Half of the hub display inside of the suit was down. The side that was still operational did not paint a pretty picture. No way was he getting anywhere in the suit at this point. Was it redundant to damn Satan to Hell? Seriously, he was liking this guy less and less by the minute.

Hitting the manual release button, the suit unwrapped from his body and he sat up. His muscles protested the movement but he didn't pay them any heed. He needed to get to that church, and fast. Maybe he could steal a car or something…He grabbed his earpiece from the suit and slipped it into place. He'd been using the AI for such a long time that having him around was practically second nature.

"JARVIS, you still with me?"

"As always, Sir. Do you require another suit sent to your location? The church is still seven blocks away. By my calculations attempting to reach it by foot will result in a rather painful death and the damning of yourself to Hell for all eternity."

Tony's eyes swept the street for an abandoned vehicle he could easily steal.

"That'd take too long, JARV. I'm gonna have to find transportation on my own."

Just as he spotted a sedan with the door hanging open, a shaking of the ground alerted him to the fact that his pursuer had caught up.

"You should never have turned against me! When you burn in my Pitts, remember that you only have yourself to blame!" A fiery fist slammed into the ground next to him, sending Tony tumbling off his feet. "Oh, I will have fun teaching you the meaning of disloyalty indeed…"

Oh, shit…Shitshitshit!

"If I may, Sir, I do believe that a shift may be in order?"

Shifting was definitely _not_ what Tony wanted to do. He'd spent so many years hiding, playing his role to absolute perfection. To throw it all away here would just be a shame. Cameras were everywhere in New York and there was no way the rest of the team wouldn't find out, forget the rest of the world. Still, if it was between that and spending the rest of eternity being roasted alive…

"You know what, JARV, I think you may be quite right."

Tony scrambled backwards to put just a bit more distance between himself and his foe. A smirk crept across his face as he reached inside himself to find his core. It had been so long since he'd shown his true form…Horns sprouted from his temples as his skin reddened to the shade of fresh blood, garishly red. Pain shot through his back ever so briefly as leathery wings erupted from beneath his skin and destroyed his shirt. He ripped off what was left with black, taloned hands, tail twitching behind him. The arc reactor still whirled in his chest, its blue glow giving the skin around it a faint purple tinge.

Oh, yeah, it was good to be back. He'd have to savor the feeling. As soon as word got out that Tony Stark was a demon he'd probably have to go on the run. Stark Industries would be all but worthless. Even though Tony was no longer the CEO, his name was too tightly associated for a hit to his reputation to not affect the business. If anyone could save it, it'd be Pepper, but she'd have her work cut out for her. Ah, well, time to worry about that later.

He shot upwards, powerful wings pumping hard to keep him aloft, and ducked under Satan's grasping hands. A corkscrew turn avoided another thrown fireball and he was soon flying above the city of New York, wind buffeting his hair. Flying in the Ironman suit was great, but it had nothing on flying with his own strength and muscles.

In this form he was much more in tune with the dark forces around him. The energy that swirled around his pursuer didn't feel right. It was muted, not at all like he remembered from the last time he'd been in the Devil's presense. This was not truly Satan, merely a construct controlled by the real Devil in Hell. Good, that would make everything much easier.

From this height he could easily make out the church's steeple in the distance and he wasted little time heading in that direction. He could hear Satan's doppelganger raging at him from below. He just was not a happy camper it seemed. Someone should tell him to turn that frown upside down.

The moment Tony set down on the roof of the church, a lightning-like burning sensation shot through his entire body. He grit his teeth against the pain and scrambled towards the steeple. He'd forgotten how much it hurt to be on consecrated ground in this form. His anger flared at the puppet behind him and its master in Hell. This was all Satan's fault anyway. Actually, no, this was all Howard Stark's fault. He was the one who'd made a deal with the Devil that traded away his own soul and gotten Tony sent to act as his son.

Satan did find it so much easier to go about his business when those who worked for him masqueraded as well-positioned mortals. Lucky for Tony his contract had been broken by an arch angel. He answered to no one now, and that was just the way he liked it. The fact that he helped out Heaven with her mission was really just a way to say thanks.

Finally reaching the simple, white cross that decorated the church's steeple, Tony latched on just to keep himself standing. The seemingly innocent materials burnt his hands and brought forth blisters almost instantly. It was one of the many downsides of being a Hell-born on the side of the Angels. He bent his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Their Father, who art in Heaven. Hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day some fucking help. And forgive me for nothing as I don't forgive those who trespass against me. Lead me not into temptation, for I will find it myself. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen."

Those were the words, right? He never could seem to remember any of those official prayers. Well, close enough. Hopefully. If those bastards up above left him to be dragged down to Satan's realm he was gonna be _so_ pissed.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait more than a few agonizing seconds before a shot of blinding light hit the roof, exploding in white fire. A tall figure wrapped in white and golden robes with gleaming armor stood from its crouched position. Huge wings spread wide from his back, light seeming to pour forth from all three sets. Emerald green eyes shot Tony a judgmental look with just a hint of surprise and confusion.

"Well, Stark, this is certainly an interesting turn of events."

Clearly this was his punishment for butchering The Lord's Prayer. So much for God being the forgiving type. Then again, this was _Loki_ standing in front of him…as an _angel._ Just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder…

"I was expecting Archangel Yinsen."

A dark scowl marred Loki's regal countenance. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the demon before him, but Tony wasn't bothered. He'd long since learned that angel's weren't as stereotypically 'angelic' as most people thought. That was really just Yinsen. He was practically the Captain America of the uppermost realm.

"Sorry to disappoint. It looks like I'll be your new contact to our realm." He examined his nails with distinct disinterest. "It seems I have a few things I still have to make up for."

Tony grinned, running his gaze over the angel's form.

"Hey, I'm just surprised, not disappointed. You are _way_ better eye candy."

Loki's scowl turned to a smirk as he gave Tony a sideways glance.

"Are you thinking sinful thoughts, Stark?"

"Oh, _definitely_."

A roar ripped through the air, bringing their attention back to the present and reminding them _why_ Tony Stark and Loki were both standing on the room of the oldest church in New York. Loki drew his sword from the sheath at his side, a feral grin making him look as though he were the demon of the pair.

"Well, then, Stark, how about we finish this up and then we can have a little chat about your _sinful thoughts_."

"A confessional? Oh, babe, that's gonna take a while."

"Not a problem. I think you'll find I've got plenty of stamina."

Tony let out a bark of laughter, moving to stand beside Loki and summoning his black magic to him so that it crackled in the palms of his hands.

"Oh, yeah. You're _way_ better than Yinsen."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to send feedback or prompts you'd like to see us do! Also, please, please, PLEASE check out zombified419's stuff. She has chaptered FrostIron as well as this little drabble carnival. She's totally worth it.


	2. Legos

Disclaimer: Still own nothing.

Prompt: Legos

Lego My Super Soldier

To be fair, Tony Stark had never imagined having kids. And, really, who in their right mind would think he'd be good with them? (Just for your information, Loki _absolutely_ did not count as he was completely, certifiably insane, no matter how much Tony loved him. There was just no helping it and three kids that lived with them and four more throughout the realms were not improving the situation.) He could barely take care of himself most days, much less a tiny human. Well, half-human.

Once he had kids, though, it turned out he couldn't imagine a life without them. Their first, Bryn-Thvari, had come as a complete and utter surprise to the couple thanks to a little mishap after Loki had turned Tony into a woman for a weekend. It seemed the God of Mischief was pleased to find that he was not the pregnant male in the relationship for once. After a brief panic attack, nine months of worry, and merciless teasing from Clint, Tony had given birth to an absolutely perfect bundle of joy.

They'd planned their second child, a girl this time. Maria-Lokidatir Stark had instantly stolen the hearts of everyone she met. Even Fury couldn't seem to find fault with her bouncing curls and rosy cheeks. Tony had started making plots to thwart her future prospective suitors by the time she was six months old…Loki had started when she still had six months on the inside, hence why she'd gotten a name that marked her as his.

Neither Bryn nor Maria, though, prepared the parents for the perpetual chaos that was their third child. It wasn't purposeful, not really, but trouble seemed to follow Austin Anthony everywhere he went. Clint was pretty sure it had something to with his father's God of Chaos status, but he was nowhere near stupid enough to actually voice that opinion.

It seemed that there was only one person Austin would listen to, Captain. Fucking. America. Austin was obsessed with the first Avenger, fascinated by everything he did, followed him everywhere. If Steve was in the Tower, Austin was sure to find him. From the moment he was able to stand, Austin would toddle after the good Captain like his very life depended on it. Absolutely nothing could dissuade him that Steve was the coolest person to ever walk the Earth.

At first it had been cute, something for Tony to laugh at but still a passing phase. As little Austin grew older, however, he retained his interest. He wanted Steve to play with him, read to him, watch TV with him. There was absolutely nothing that Austin did that he didn't want Steve there for. The only person who could draw his attention away from the super soldier was his Dad. (Probably why Stark hadn't kicked Steve out of his Tower in an attempt to reclaim his son.)

It wasn't uncommon to find the three of them together, something Loki found endlessly frustrating. Austin loved his father, of course. There was no doubt about that. If Loki wasn't there to read him his bedtime story and tuck him in then there was nothing in the world that could get Austin to go to sleep. His father was the one who scared the monsters away, after all. Still, sometimes Loki wanted to strangle that stupid, super-serum enhanced, blonde goody-goody. Funny how he so often had problems with the blondes in his life.

Loki learned to savor the time he had alone with his youngest son. (Really, if he ever got time alone with _any_ member of his family it was a minor miracle.) The Aesir had actually taken to grabbing the young boy at random intervals and spiriting him away for one-on-one time. Of course, he was always careful to keep Tony informed after the first time when the genius had panicked completely at the news of his son's disappearance. _That_ had been an awkward conversation with SHIELD.

Austin and his father would do things like go to the zoo, visit the aquarium, or even just sit around and play games. Sometimes they would watch movies and snuggle. Loki loved having such a young child around and planned to continue popping out children so as to always have an offspring who wasn't too old to be affectionate. Currently, they were building a castle out of Legos in one of the lower floors of Stark Tower. Austin had inherited his dad's aptitude for engineering and loved building things. They were working on the third watch tower, because security was important, when six year old Austin finally popped his question.

"Hey, Father?"

"Hmm?"

"Can Cap and Daddy get married?"

Loki nearly swallowed his own tongue. A red flush worked its way across his face, though he couldn't even identify himself whether it was from anger, embarrassment, or something else entirely. He and Tony weren't married themselves, but it was more because they'd never actually talked about marriage than for any particular reason. Besides, Tony had already eaten the golden apple so it wasn't like either of them was insecure in where the relationship was going. They had three kids!

"Absolutely _not_."

It came out more aggressive than he meant it to and guilt riddled him instantly at the taken-aback expression on his son's face. He drew the boy into his side and held him close, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"Marriage is for two people who are in love, Austin."

The boy stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Like you and Daddy?"

"Yes, like the two of us. We love each other and we love you and your siblings very, very much."

Austin's brow creased in thought as he stared down at the Lego piece in his hand, turning it this way and that between his fingers. He was a very smart boy, always had been. Loki knew that whatever came out of his mouth next was going to cause some upheaval of their entire lives.

"But…you and Daddy _aren't_ married…"

"Well, no…but we are the type that would."

"The type?"

"That are in love. We're in a relationship, we spend a lot of time together, and we will be together for the rest of our lives."

"Oh…"

Austin drifted into silence and he leaned more heavily into Loki's side. After a moment the God pulled the young boy into his lap.

"So if all that's true, why don't you and Daddy get married?"

Loki resisted the temptation to sigh heavily.

"Things just aren't quite that simple. Anthony and I are very secure in the status of our relationship. We don't need to get married to know where we stand with each other."

"So Daddy _could_ marry Cap if he wanted to?"

A muscle in Loki's jaw twitched.

"What is your sudden obsession with their marriage? Do you not want Anthony and I to be together?"

Austin's mouth dropped open in a look of such distinct horror that Loki almost felt guilty. It was clear that he hadn't even thought what Tony and Steve getting married would mean for his parent's relationship.

"What? If they get married you and Daddy won't be together anymore?!"

Loki could see the panic setting in on his son's face and hurried to reassure the boy.

"Shhh, shhh…It's alright, little one. Anthony and the Captain aren't getting married. It's okay."

Instead of calming Austin as expected, Loki's words only seemed to rile him up further. He wiggled out of his father's lap and grabbed his hand to pull him desperately towards the elevator.

"We have to go stop them! Hurry! Come on!"

Confused by Austin's behavior and curious to see where this led, Loki followed after the boy easily. It took them less than two minutes to find Steve and Tony in the community kitchen of the tower, Steve making dinner for the team and Tony stealing bits and pieces to snack on. Tony had an arm thrown across Steve's shoulders and was laughing loudly as they came in. Austin wasted no time at all throwing the Lego he still had clutched in his tiny hand at Steve's head.

"Wha-Austin! What were you thinking? You can't just throw things at people!"

Austin darted under his dad's arms to place himself between his parents and the dumbstruck super soldier. He was glaring at the blonde as though he were the devil himself.

"Stay away from my Daddy, you…you…stupid head!"

Loki could only shrug at Tony's bewildered expression.

"He apparently thinks you and Steve are going to get married and we're going to break up."

Still obviously confused, Tony turned back to their son, kneeling down next to him and placing his hands on either shoulder.

"Hey, kiddo, no one's getting married. Steve's my best friend, nothing more. Your father and I aren't going anywhere."

Austin's tiny fists were clenched at his side as he started tearing up, only alarming the adults in the room all the more.

"Nuh uh! I saw the ring! I'm smart enough to know what that means!"

Tony's back stiffened, but Loki was more confused than ever.

"What ring?"

"The ring Daddy showed Cap! It was gold and glow-y and I didn't get a really good look at it but I know what it means! And they were talking about engagement and proposals and you can't marry Cap, Daddy! You can't!"

Tony was suddenly beet red and couldn't seem to stammer out so much as a single word. A smirk snuck its way across Loki's face.

"Maybe I should take a look at this ring…for investigative purposes…"

Tony hesitated, looking up at Loki from his kneeling position and clearly trying to gage his mood. Steve's gaze flickered between them.

"Uh, Austin, why don't you and I leave your parents to talk about thi-"

"No! Get your hands off me! I'm not falling for your tricks!"

Austin threw himself at the soldier, pummeling him at knee-height with ineffective blows. Neither parent made any move to stop their child. Tony's lips twitched a bit as he reached into his pocket to get out a small velvet box. He rubbed the surface with his thumb.

"I've been carrying it around with me for months, trying to get up the courage, you know…I had it all planned out. Bryn and Maria already knew, the only reason Austin didn't know was because he'd blab in a heartbeat."

"Hey!" the affronted six-year-old shouted, finally distracted from his super soldier assault, "I don't blab! I'm just exceptionally good at sharing information!"

He got no acknowledgement as Tony popped open the top of the box and presented it to Loki, smirk having stretched into a full-blown smile. The ring was a golden band, a glowing miniature arc reactor in the center. Runes were engraved around the band, each glowing faintly with magic. Loki's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise as he gaped at the ring. Tony, of course, took his silence as a cue to start rambling.

"Your mom actually helped with the magic in the runes last time she visited to see the kids. They're apparently some traditional Aesir stuff for happiness and luck. I honestly don't fully know, I just asked her what she thought was best. And she took care of the whole magicky part. Thor got me some of the ferrara used for your helmet and then I miniaturized the arc reactor even more to use as a stone, even though it's too small to really power anything. So it's like the ring is a little of both of us. And there's no other like it in the world, which was totally befitting because there's no one like _you_ anywhere and I had this great line prepared about how you deserved something as special and unique as you are but of course now I can't remember what it was and I actually can't remember most of anything I planned to say and it's only getting worse the longer you're quiet. Dear God, why won't you just say something? Oh, this was a bad idea, a terrible idea. I should have just been happy with what I had and-Oomph!"

Loki had long-since learned the fastest way to shut Tony up was to kiss him silent. He pulled away after a long moment.

"It's beautiful…I will be proud to wear it upon my finger."

Brown eyes lit up with hope.

"So you're saying yes?"

"Yes, you pitiful mortal."

"Hey, I ate that stupid apple. I'm hardly mortal anymore."

And then they were kissing again, Tony off his knees to wrap his arms around the back of Loki's neck and pull him closer. There was an embarrassed cough from behind them and they finally broke away to look at the room's other two occupants.

"So…you and Daddy are getting married?"

Loki shared a besotted grin with his soon-to-be-husband.

"Yes."

"And he's not marrying Cap?"

"_Absolutely_ not, little man."

"Oh…So can I marry Cap?"

Tony burst out laughing while Loki took a moment to wonder just how his family had turned out the way it was…

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed! I had a lot of fun with Loki and Tony's kids and hope to use them again soon! In the meantime, please feel free to review! And go check out zombified419's corresponding fic!


	3. Batman

A/N: So, just real quick, I would like to go ahead and admit that I'm no expert when it comes to Batman. I know a bit here and there, but there are gaps in my knowledge large enough to drive a truck through. That being said, I tried my best for due diligence here and everything I used has been researched. I apologize for any disagreements with DC canon. (Besides, of course, for the presence and references to Marvel characters.)

Disclaimer: I own even less than usual in this one.

Prompt: Batman

Going Batty

Snagging a glass of champagne from a passing tray, Tony strode confidently into the glitzy ballroom full of society's finest. He found it so asinine that these charity events brought out every single socialite's need to impress with dazzle and glamour. It was unlikely that there was a single outfit in the room that cost less than $15,000. All these people wanted to do was be able to say they helped without actually having to do anything to help. Still, it was a $10,000 per plate fundraising dinner with an auction to follow so he supposed he couldn't be _too_ hard on those in attendance.

His own suit was one of a kind, custom made with a market value of being literally priceless. So, really, he didn't have much room to judge. His date was clad in a curve-hugging emerald gown made of satin and some sheer fabric Tony couldn't even begin to name. Embroidery encrusted with gemstones covered its entire length, matching perfectly with the ornate clip that held up luscious, black curls. Delicate buttons ran the length of its back and Tony couldn't seem to stop running this fingers along the line they created.

"Disgusting, isn't it? All this need to show off?" she murmured into his ear, bosom just barely grazing his arm.

Tony's eyes flickered over to meet her sparkling green ones that were framed by smoky black kohl and glittering silver liner. Her bright red lips were pulled into a smirk, showing off her amusement at the entire situation.

"I don't know, babe…I'm having a pretty good time showing _you_ off. There's not a man in this room who doesn't wish you were on his arm instead of mine."

One delicate eyebrow rose as she visibly bit down a laugh.

"Resorting to flattery so early in the evening, Mr. Stark?"

"What can I say? You bring out the worst in me, _Lily_."

This time she did laugh, the sound a few octaves higher than Tony was used to, but pleasant none the less. Unfortunately, their moment couldn't stay their own forever.

"I'm so glad you could make it out tonight, Tony."

The billionaire greeted his evening's host with a wide grin and a friendly hug.

"Bruce! So good to see you! It's been too long, but what are you going to do? You know how busy this CEO-by-day-hero-by-night gig can get."

"The CEO bit, at least, I can sympathize with. I've seen your hero exploits all over the news lately, though. You seem to be doing well."

His fellow businessman shot a knowing look at Tony's companion and the brunette presented her obligingly.

"Ah, yes. I do forget my manners, don't I? Bruce, meet Lily Zilveren, a Dutch model I met about a year and half ago. Lily, meet Bruce Wayne, owner and CEO of Wayne Enterprises."

Lily extended one finely-manicured hand for a shake, her lips stretching impossibly wide.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wayne."

"You as well, Ms. Zilveren. And may I say you look lovely tonight?"

"You may."

Tony nearly laughed at Bruce's briefly taken-aback expression.

"Now, now, back on topic. I believe we were discussing superheroes?"

"Were we?" Bruce asked with faked innocence.

"Oh, definitely. You were about to tell me all about this 'Batman' I keep hearing so much about. I mean, I've done my own research, but nothing beats information from the horse's mouth, right?"

The glare he received could have cut a diamond clean in half, but Tony just smiled on like he didn't even notice. Bruce's own smile now had an edge to it, but his tone was as pleasant as ever.

"I'm not sure what I can tell you that you couldn't have seen in the media, much less that a man like you could dig up on his own. Just because he's in my city doesn't mean I know anything about him."

Lily patted Tony's arm affectionately before dropping a quick kiss on his lips.

"I do believe I have some mingling to do. Perhaps I should give you boys some privacy?"

Tony leant in for one more kiss, this one a bit more drawn out, before relinquishing his hold on her waist and watching her walk away with swaying hips. Bruce gave him a knowing look.

"She's not like the other ones you've brought around over the years."

"Oh, Brucey, you have _no_ idea. So, how's the CEO work going?"

"Well, with you making such a name for yourself in clean energy, I've been thinking of throwing a few Wayne Enterprise resources in that direction. Can't let you have all the fun, can I?"

"That's cold, Wayne. You never struck me as the jealous type."

The two laughed, falling back into safer topics as the night wore on. They drifted between groups, chatting up the rich and elite and all but conning them into committing to outrageous donations. It reminded Tony distinctly of all the trouble they used to get into back in college when Tony was pulling Bruce out of his shell and Bruce was making sure Tony didn't get himself killed as a nearly prepubescent college student at fraternity parties. Good times.

"I hope you know this means you owe me, Wayne. I've earned that charity of yours at _least_ half a million tonight."

Bruce had just opened his mouth to reply when the screams started. Both men whipped around to find armed gunmen storming the room and cutting off the exit points. The party's guests were being rounded into groups, each group guarded by two or three of the masked men. A tall man with a pitch black skull for a face strode calmly among them, clearly the leader. Tony heard Bruce curse beside him, but couldn't help but throw out his snarky two cents.

"Oh, Cap'd love this. Red Skull changed up his color scheme. Talk about a makeover!"

"Shut up, Stark!" Bruce growled out, "He goes by the name Black Mask, one of the biggest players in Gotham's crime scene."

"WAYNE! I know you're in here! You can't hide from me!"

The businessman winced and glanced apologetically at his friend.

"And he's kind of got a thing for me."

Damn. And Tony had been hoping for an easy way out of this.

"You always were great with the ladies, Bruce, but maybe you want to tone down that winning charm around the psychos, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll try and keep that in mi-"

Their conversation was cut short as several machine gun rounds landed near their feet. God DAMN IT! Tony _really_ hated getting shot at.

"Aha! There you are!"

Two armed goons were suddenly grabbing Tony and yanking him away from Bruce while their leader ambled over. To his credit, Bruce stood his ground, not flinching in the slightest.

"So…Bruce Wayne…Any last words before you die? Normally I'd draw this out a little bit longer but seeing as we have an _Avenger_ in our midst," he gestured dismissively in Tony's direction, "I find myself a little pressed for time."

"You don't have to do this, Roman. We were friends once, remember? I _know_ you-"

Black Mask struck him full across the face, sending Bruce to his knees. Anger decorated every inch of his expression.

"You know _nothing_! You are fake like all the others, hiding behind a mask of your true nature! You were never my friend!"

Suddenly, everything clicked in Tony's brain and he gaped at the villain towering over his business rival.

"Wait, wait, wait. Roman? As in Roman Sionis? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Roman rounded on his, eyes blazing from the depths of dark sockets. It was a rather imposing sight.

"I go by _Black Mask_ now. Roman Sionis died with his company!"

Tony snorted in exasperation, earning himself a warning glare from Bruce.

"Your company didn't die, idiot! You ran it into the ground! You're lucky Bruce even offered to save it! I sure as Hell wouldn't've."

Tony was glad to finally have Black Mask's attention fully focused on him. That meant he wouldn't be focusing on, and killing, Bruce. Still, that skull was more than a little unsettling…and it probably wasn't helping that Tony was effectively working the villain into a blind rage.

"He froze me out! Replaced me with a Board of Directors! That company was everything to me and he just took it away!"

"Which you agreed to, the way I heard it! The transfer of ownership couldn't have happened without your signature of the legal papers! Suck it up, man, and face the music! You have about as much business sense as a monkey who can't use sign language!"

Tony's head snapped to the side as Black Mask's fist connected with his jaw. He spat blood out on the floor before raising a challenging eyebrow at the man.

"Is that all you got?"

The mad man pulled his fist back to swing again but was thrown to the side as a familiar-looking silver heel collided with the side of his skull. Grinning, Tony looked over to see Lily striding angrily towards them with her remaining Alexander McQueen winged heel clutched in one hand. The bodies of several Black Mask henchmen lay crumbled on the ground behind her. Her expression could've made storm clouds jealous.

"Hands _off_, quim. I'm rather attached to that face of his and I'd hate for you to ugly it up."

Tony gaped at his date in mock horror.

"Sweetheart! I'm wounded! Are you really just using me for my body?"

Lily looked wholly unamused.

"Have you ever had to deal with yourself? I'm obviously not sticking around for your personality."

"Ouch, princess! I'm not gonna lie, that one stung a little."

"You're a big boy. I'm sure you'll get over it. Now, be a doll and fetch my shoe back, would you?"

The edge of Tony's mouth twitched into a smirk.

"Woof, woof, princess."

"_**ENOUGH!**_"

Apparently Black Mask didn't find their banter nearly as amusing as they did. He grabbed a fist-full of Tony's hair and yanked him away from his own henchmen. Tony hissed in pain as he felt his hair being ripped out.

"You will be the first to die, Stark, and then your bitch will follow!"

"Now, see, I just can't let you do that. So sorry!"

With his arms now free it took Tony mere seconds to press the button hidden in his left cufflink. His formal attire instantly shifted like water to cover his entire body, hardening and changing color to his classic red and gold motif. Black Mask released him with a shout as the helmet snapped shut over his face. In seconds, Tony was in the air, hovering a few feet off the ground and aiming repulsers as the man in charge.

"Ever heard of Smart Metals, Roman? They can remember form and resume a previous shape when needed. I kind of invented them…It's the sort of thing that makes me a successful businessman."

He fired a volley of shots at the man before turning his repulsers on the gunmen. What he'd said was true, but that kind of form flexibility also really limited his weapon capabilities and he needed to make sure the civilians in the room stayed safe. Using the turmoil as a distraction, Lily darted to where Bruce still knelt on the ground. Good, Tony knew without a doubt that she could get him out of the crowd, get him somewhere he could change into a much more…useful persona.

He rocketed into the air, grabbing one of the gunmen and tossing him across the room. He needed all eyes on him to keep them distracted. Well, only one way to do that…Swooping down, he grabbed Black Mask by his collar and hoisted him up until his feet dangled off the ground.

"I have to admit, this isn't how I planned to spend my evening. Do you have any idea how annoying it is when criminals like you pop up on my nights off? Have a little consideration!"

Sionis only scoffed.

"You hide behind a mask just as much as I do, Stark! Do you think you can hide from the world in your tin suit? That no one will find out your pathetic secrets? You are no better than the rest of the scum I have been trying to wipe out and you will die just like them!"

"Oh, lay off, will you? Everyone wears a mask, get over it! Now, you and I have an appointment with the Gotham City Police. I suggest you come quietly."

"Not likely, tin man! Fill him full of lead!"

Apparently Roman's lack of common sense extended to more than just business as he ordered his men to open fire on Tony. He had to drop the criminal like a sack of potatoes just to avoid him getting riddled with holes. As it was, Tony knew he'd have bruises in the morning. These Smart Metal suits just _really_ weren't as durable as he'd like them to be.

He turned back to the gunmen firing at him, deciding to address that issue first. The bright side, he supposed, was that as long as they were firing at him they weren't firing at civilians. Joy. Besides, regular, old, boring bullets? Way better than what he was used to having shot at him.

Limited to his repulsers and fists Tony spun across the room, taking down gunmen as he went. Low level henchmen never took long, but they were still annoying as ever. It took less than a full minute for Tony to render the armed guards unconscious, though one lucky bastard managed to wedge a shot into the armor's crease at his hip. The flesh wound stung mercilessly, and the genius knew he would be hearing about it later. Turning back to face Sionis, Tony cursed at finding the madman gone.

A terrified party-guest pointed wordlessly to a back door and Tony shot him a quick salute before rocketing off in pursuit. If he let some second-rate joke like Black Mask get away Clint would make damn sure he never forgot it. Tony was far too competitive to let that happen.

He barely made it into the hallway before pulling up short. A tall man in a black cowl and cape held Roman against the wall by his shirt, feet dangling several inches off the ground. Tony set down with a thud and strolled forward, popping his faceplate up to grin cocksurely at where Lily stood off to the side.

"Staying out of the way while the men-folk fight out their differences, hunny? How very unlike you."

Lily smiled serenely, but her eyes promised that he'd be paying for that comment later. He regretted nothing.

"Oh, you know how it is. Too much testosterone and stupidity in the air and I get light-headed."

"Enough!" The impossibly-gravely voice came from the figure that could only be Batman as he turned to glare at them with one eye. "There are people in danger."

Tony held up his hands defensively.

"No worries! I already took out those pesky goons that were in the other room. This guy here is the only one left. Sorry, Bats, but you're late to this party…Not that anyone can blame you, seeing as how you had to duck out to change and al-"

Batman slammed his captive roughly into the wall, drowning out the last of Tony's sentence and glaring at him all the harder. Black Mask groaned in pain, but seemed less than fully conscious. The caped crusader dropped the man and pulled restraints from his belt.

"I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut."

"And I'd advise you to drink some hot tea. Talking like that all the time can_not_ be good for your throat, Bru-"

A gloved hand was suddenly wrapped across Tony's face. Lily's green eyes flashed as she moved forward.

"I'll make you a deal, Stark. Call it a business transaction."

He gulped nervously before nodding. Low level thugs were one thing, but going toe to toe with Batman in a sub-par suit would only end disastrously and Lily could only do so much without blowing her cover.

"Good. You keep that smart mouth of yours shut about who you _think_ I may or may not be and I keep mine shut about the fact that you brought _a certain shape-shifting supervillain_ to my charity gala."

Tony's grin threatened to nearly split his face in half.

"I can do that…but I think you mean _Mr. Wayne's_ charity gala, right?"

The fact that Batman looked like he wanted to strangle him did not dampen Tony's mood in the slightest.

A/N: Thank you for reading! As always, please check out zombified419's corresponding fic, as well as her FABULOUS chaptered FrostIron. If you'd care to see Loki's dress/shoes, links are below! Just remove the spaces, parenthesis, and extra periods! Sorry, I had to get a bit inventive to make these work.

Dress:

(h.t.t.p):/ /indulgy DOT com/ post/ 3At4R0L0O1/ emerald-gown

Shoes:

(h.t.t.p):/ /dvsl3w2q45hb8 DOT cloudfront DOT net/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2010/ 07/ winged-shoe1 DOT jpg


	4. Forgetting Steve

A/N: Yeah, so this one was a bit awkward for me to write. I kept putting in the wrong names! I had a hard time coming up with something to fill this particular prompt. Well, I hope it works out for you!

Prompt: Forgetting Steve

The Price We Pay

"So do you have any idea what this is about?"

Robert turned with a grin as soon as he recognized the voice coming from behind him. He hadn't seen Tom in a few weeks, both men being kept busy with other projects. He'd missed those blue eyes.

"Hiddles! They called you in, too?"

The tall, lanky man sank down into the swivel chair next to Robert's own. They and a number of other cast and crew from the various Avengers movies were scattered around a large meeting room table. At the head of the table sat a representative from Marvel that RDJ had seen maybe a handful of times before and an older woman he didn't recognize. Their heads were close together in conversation.

"Who're those two?"

Robert shrugged.

"No idea on the woman, but she looks like the type who can't take a joke."

Tom rolled his eyes and nudged Robert with his shoulder.

"Spells trouble for you, then."

Robert had just opened his mouth to deliver a smart retort when the woman at the head of the table stood up.

"May I have everyone's attention please? My name is Miranda Balshom. I have been brought in because of there have been severe oversights regarding budget on the last several films involved in the Avengers project. Most notably Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Iron Man 3."

Robert shifted uncomfortably in his chair, pointedly ignoring Tom's smug look. He leaned over to whisper a hurried, "Shut up!" before tuning back in to what the woman was saying. It wasn't like he even had anything to do the budgets of the films, but he still felt a bit responsible for anything involving Iron Man.

"Those of you who are in this room should know that your jobs are safe. Your employment contracts have already been reviewed and there is no cause for you to worry. Those who are not present are either still under review or have had their contracts terminated. Most notable among those who have been let go is Chris Evans, who will be replaced by his stunt double."

Robert spun to look at Tom, utterly horrified. He still spoke in a whisper, but it was hurried and aggressive.

"They can't get rid of Thor! Oh, my god! I can't believe this!"

Tom smothered a laugh, something RDJ thought was highly inappropriate. This was his costar they were replacing!

"Thor is Chris _Hemsworth_. Chris _Evans_ is Captain America."

The brunette man frowned, eyebrows pulling together in thought. He leaned closer to Tom, his head practically laying on their other's shoulder.

"I thought his name was Steve."

The Hiddler rolled his eyes again, his exasperation with Robert briefly overriding his worry for Chris. How in the world did they think they could just replace him?

"Steve Rogers is the secret-ish identity of Captain America, Chris Evans is the actor who plays him."

"Are you sure?"

"_Yes, _Robert, _I'm sure._"

"If you two are quite done acting like adolescent girls in the back of the classroom," the Miranda woman interrupted, disapproval clear in her voice, "the rest of us would like to get back on task."

Tom looked sheepish, sinking down in his chair, but RDJ was as shameless as ever. He pushed himself to his feet, confident smile pasted across his face.

"Actually, I have a problem with some of the changes that are being talked about. Have we reached the Q&A portion of your little presentation? We have? Good." He hadn't waited for a response. "You see, Ms…Budget management, I just cannot sit by and let you replace Steve Evans-"

"It's _Chris_!" came from beside him in a hissed whisper.

"_Chris_ Evans, also known as Captain America, for those who weren't aware." The looks from around the room said that _everyone_ knew. "The thing is we've become sort of a family, those of us who play the various Avengers. We're a team in our own way, not just the characters on the screen. You can't just replace one of us and expect it to be okay! Especially not for something like budget cuts!"

The woman just raised an eyebrow, all but looking down her nose at the actor.

"Well, then, Mr. Downey. If you feel so strongly on the matter, what do_ you_ propose we should do? Is there some magical solution you can pull out of a hat? This is not some movie plot where everything will turn out well in the end just because you want it to. This is real life, and that calls for tough decisions."

Robert glanced to the side, making brief eye contact with Tom before lifting his chin and crossing his arms in the universal sign for 'I'm digging my heels in and am going to be stubborn now.' Like Hell he was going to let this happen on his watch. They'd already gotten rid of the actor who'd first played his Rhodey, not to mention switching the actors for Fandral _and_ Bruce Banner. (To be fair, though, he totally liked Mark better. That other guy was kind of an asshole.)

"I know life calls for hard descisions, but that doesn't make this the right one to make. Cutting numbers by firing people who have been on this project since the beginning? There are animators and gaffers who have worked on every single one of these movies and you're just going to toss them aside because there's someone who can do it cheaper? Even if that replacement won't do as good a job? I can't give you any 'magical solution', as you put it, but I also can't let you do this."

One expertly-plucked eyebrow rose on the woman's pinched face. She was clearly not amused. Good, neither was he.

"Is that so? And how do you plan on stopping me?"

Robert chuckled.

"Well, if I were really Tony Stark, I'd offer to pay the difference, but unfortunately I don't make that kind of money, not even with the success of these Avengers movie." His face fell to being dead serious in all of a heartbeat. "I can quit, though. And I'm prepared to if that's what it takes to get these people their jobs back."

The woman's jaw dropped, and suddenly the most horrified look in the room was on the face of Marvel's representative. Movement beside him told Robert that Tom had stood as well, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"I, too, am prepared to offer my resignation." His voice suddenly dropped in pitch. "I am Loki, of Asgard, and you have just been burdened with the glorious purpose of finding someone to replace me."

Across the room, another man stood, Robert recognized him as the head of the costume design department for the Iron Man movies. He gave RDJ a nod before turning back to the front of the room.

"I'm not too keen on losing good people, either. If you want to continue down this path, you can consider this my two weeks' notice."

The two on either side of him stood as well, a man and a woman recognizable by face if not name. Then more people were standing around the room, one after another until eventually, the entire room was on its feet. Robert leaned forward slightly to lay his hands flat against the table. He grinned at the stunned faces of the pair at the head of the table.

"Well, I think we've made our position pretty clear. I understand you might need some time to think about our offer, so no rush." He turned away from the table and began strolling towards the door. "We look forward to hearing from you soon!"

And then he was out in the corridor, breezing towards the elevators and not even slowing down when he heard someone's footsteps behind him. Tom drew level with him as he pressed the button to summon them to their floor. The blonde man was grinning broadly, a delighted glint in his eyes.

"That was so awesome."

Suddenly, a grin was breaking out across Robert's face, too.

"_Tell me about it_."

The elevator dinged its arrival and the two men stepped on, slightly surprised no one else had joined them quite yet. Robert supposed they were gathering their things, perhaps talking amongst themselves.

"Only you could forget someone's name and still care about them enough to quit your job. You were channeling Tony pretty hard back there."

"Look, I'm bad with names. Sue me. I'm a face person. Besides, you're the one who went full-Loki on them."

Tom laughed.

"I suppose we both are a bit more like our characters than we thought."

His eyes were alight with mischief, and Robert couldn't help but agree.

"Well, then, Loki of Asgard, I suppose I owe you a drink. Care to collect?"

"It would be my pleasure…mewling quim."

A/N: So? What do you think? Don't forget to go check out zombified419's version of these prompts!


	5. Evil Tony

A/N: Alright. Here's the first of 8 fics I wrote for this particular prompt. Zombified419's work for this prompt is really long, so I went for multiples instead. I hope you all enjoy!

Prompt: Evil!Tony

Pain Reflected In Your Eyes

"You came to the wrong neighborhood, Reindeer Games."

Agent Barton had warned Loki that most of Midgard was the territory of this Iron Man, but he hadn't anticipated running into the mortal so soon. Now, as the gaudy red and gold suit paced around him in a wide circle, the god had the too-late thought that he should have taken the archer's cautions a little more seriously. Not that this would be a problem. He would handle it.

"How did you find this base? I was assured it was nigh undetectable."

"Key word there is 'nigh'. You're on the grid, even if it's barely. If you're on the grid, there's no where you can hide from me."

The man slowed to a stop in front of the god and Loki could feel his gaze even past the metal helmet. He lifted his chin infinitesimally. Let this mortal try to judge him. He was _nothing_.

"Are you here to play the hero, then?" Loki mocked, eyebrow raised. "Do you think your people will revere you if you happen to save their puny lives? They will never see you as anything but a monster."

The man in the suit barked out a laugh.

"Yeah, no. I'm no hero. I don't really play well with others, if you know what I mean. No…I'm here because I don't like it when upstart aliens who think they're gods try to touch my things. Earth is _mine._ It and all its people belong to _me._"

"That doesn't seem to be how SHIELD sees it."

"There are a lot of things SHIELD doesn't see."

It was hard to tell through the metallic filters, but Loki thought that sounded just a little bit bitter. He grinned triumphantly. A single foothold was all he needed to worm his way into another's mind. This was just the opportunity he needed. It was too early in his plans for him to be brought down, he at least needed the portal open before that happened, but turning this mortal against him would serve to make his defeat all the more believable.

"I agree with you on that point, at least. They are like the rest of your pathetic species, unable to find the way on their own. They must be guided to the light."

"And you think that you're the guy to do it."

It would have been hard for the mortal's voice to sound any more skeptical. Good. Let him continue to talk. Barton was already on the way and they would soon be headed to Germany. Loki's only regret about teleporting was that he wouldn't be around to see the mortal's reaction to his sudden disappearance. Such a waste.

"Well, I _am_ a god. Your people have quite the history for falling into line under the guidance of deities."

Iron Man made a noise that might have been a snort, or possibly some sort of mechanical failure. Loki couldn't really tell.

"Um, yeah. We also fight about which ones are real on a daily basis. Don't think for a second that proclaiming yourself a 'god' is going to make your path any smoother. Piece of advice? It's only going to make them more upset."

A faint whirring sound came from across the room and they both turned to see that Agent Barton had arrived. His bow was drawn and pointed threateningly at the man in the suit of armor. Loki grinned at his appearance and turned back to his enemy.

"I do believe you have met my assistant here, yes?"

He could almost hear the frown in Iron Man's voice.

"Barton, yeah. What'd you _do_ to him?"

The tin man's gaze never left the agent, just as Barton's glowing blue gaze never wavered away from him. Loki frowned, feeling oddly disappointed at the loss of Iron Man's complete attention. He strode to stand beside the archer, a purely tactical move he told himself.

"He has proved himself quite useful while in my service, an excellent source of information and an even more loyal dog." Loki turned his head slightly and stroked along the side of Barton's face, one eye on the red and gold villain to watch his reaction. "Perhaps when I no longer have use for him, I will bid him a painless death."

Even beneath the metal, Loki could see Iron Man stiffen. Interesting…Since the moment he had entered the room, the other villain seemed much more concerned for the archer than he was for himself. It certainly wasn't typical 'evil' behavior. The contradictions presented to him were certainly proving to be entertaining.

His fingers tightened their grip on his spear. The whispering voice in the back of his mind told him to just claim the mortal already, he would be useful in making sure the Chitauri came through the portal. He tamped down on the desire, though, knowing the mortal could also make the difference in stopping them once they did come through.

The thoughts were interrupted as the warrior took a threatening step forward. Light glinted menacingly off of the golden faceplate and for the first time, Loki felt a shiver of apprehension run up his spine. This was the man who had so thoroughly entrenched himself as a threat to his enemies on this planet. This was the man who held the top rank on SHIELD's Most Wanted list. Iron Man had finally gotten serious.

"Enough games, Rock of Ages. As fun as our little dance has been, I'm afraid this is where it ends. I'd offer you a drink, but I'm really just not that much of a gentleman."

Then he had his hands up, firing a repulsor beam at Loki and, very carefully, not at Barton. The shot was placed to drive the two further apart and Loki grimaced at the fact that it worked. Between himself and his brother, he had always been the better tactician. He didn't like being driven away from his asset, but there just wasn't much he could do when his options had been so limited.

Barton immediately responded to the attack by firing off a few arrows of his own. Iron Man dived to the side, using his thrusters to get out of the way in time. The arrows struck the opposite wall and let out small bursts of what Loki had been told was 'EMP'. Apparently it was something that would stop Iron Man's suit, if only for a very limited time.

Iron Man himself cursed colorfully and switched directions to fly towards the archer. For a moment, Loki thought that he'd misjudged the mortal, that he was going to kill Barton just to get him out of the way. But then Iron Man was wrapping his arms around the agent, knocking his bow aside and pinning him against the glow of the reactor. Barton kicked and struggled furiously, but there was only so much he could do under the circumstances.

The other villain backed away, putting space between himself and the god, keeping his back to the doorway so he could make a quick escape. He was clever, this one, and Loki had to admire that. The god's lips twitched upwards in a bit of a smirk. Maybe, when all of this was over and he did not have Thanos breathing down his neck, he would seek out this mortal again. He would no doubt be an excellent source of entertainment.

For now, though, he needed to proceed very carefully. It would not be catastrophic to lose Barton at this stage of the game, but it would certainly make things more difficult. On the other hand, if Iron Man was to approach SHIELD with the return of one their own it would make it a bit easier for the two factions to work together. (And Loki had been informed already that Iron Man had others who worked for him, The Winter Soldier, for example, and a rogue scientist named Maya Hansen.)

"You are not nearly so much a villain as you wish others to believe, are you?"

Loki's question was accompanied by a smirk, mirth and calculation dancing within his eyes.

"I do what I want. Sometimes that makes enemies. Most of the time, actually. Besides," the mortal crept backwards a little bit more, a little bit closer to the door. Loki made no move to stop him. "being a villain is so much easier than being the hero. When you're the hero, everyone wants you to be so _good,_ to _care._ When you're the villain, the only person you have to answer to if yourself."

Loki wanted to agree with this, because he understood the logic, but he couldn't quite bring himself to. Right now _he_ was the villain, and he wasn't exactly the only one in charge. Why was it that this mere mortal could rule over his own destiny when Loki, a _god_, was constantly forced to bow to the choices of others? First the All-Father had seen fit to decide his fate, then Thanos. Perhaps it was simply in the cards that Loki's path be ruled by those not himself.

He felt a sudden rush of anger and felt himself violently hating the very idea of the mortal before him. A part of him knew that the one he really hated was himself but it didn't stop the wave of loathing that crashed over him. Why had he ever considered not just killing the man? It would make life so much easier for him.

As if sensing the change in his demeanor, Iron Man edged even farther away. He looked ready to bolt at any second. Still, it seemed he could not get through life without opening his infuriating mouth for one last comment.

"For what it's worth, I'm not so sure you're the villain here, either. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that nothing is quite how it appears. I'll be watching, Reindeer Games."

And then he turned and fled, the Hawk wrapped up securely in his arms as his suit flew through Loki's base. As soon as he was gone, Loki's anger disappeared and the god cast a critical eye over the scepter in his grip. Yes…the mortal was certainly clever indeed…

AN: Tell me what you thought! Also, we absolutely accept prompts!


	6. Evil Tony 2

A/N: Alright! So here's the second one! This one is a little more light-hearted…kind of…Whatever.

Prompt: Evil!Tony

Everyone Loves a Bad Boy

"Hey, babe. Welcome back."

Tony dropped a quick kiss to Loki's temple as he passed the god who had collapsed in one of the living room arm chairs. The absolute best part about keeping his identity of Iron Man a secret was that no one came looking for him when he caused trouble. It didn't matter if Iron Man blew up a weapons factory or if Loki enchanted a giant squid to attack San Diego, they could be sitting in his Miami mansion an hour later as if nothing had ever happened.

Loki's head turned to watch the inventor enter the kitchen and he was still looking that way when Tony appeared once more, this time with two cups of coffee. Loki liked his sweet, with two spoonfuls of honey and a bit of orange squeezed in. Tony was more of a purist. He liked his coffee black and hot. He passed the god his cup as he sank down on the armrest.

"Rough day at the office?"

Loki sent him a baleful glare and Tony only grinned in response. They'd long since passed the point in their relationship where the genius was worried about _actually_ upsetting the god. He knew Loki's irritated looks were more for show than anything else. If Tony were to ever _really_ piss him off…well, he was pretty sure he'd know.

"The _oaf_ has returned."

Tony winced, there needed to be no specification as to exactly which oaf Loki was talking about. No wonder he was in a bad mood. He hooked one of his bare feet under the god's leg, rubbing the back on his calf soothingly.

"Seriously? I thought we'd finally gotten rid of Thor when we shoved him through that wormhole into, what was it? Alfheim?"

Loki heaved a heavy sigh and leaned to the side, pressing into the warmth that was his mortal lover.

"It was Nioavellir, the home of the Dvengar."

The dwarves, as they were more likely to be known by mortals, were a tough race. They lived in the cruelest of environments, some going their entire lives without seeing the outside of a mine or forge. They flourished there, though, and were known to be able to wield ax just as easily as they could create one. Their dislike for the Aesir had only made it more appealing to send his dear brother there.

"Apparently he managed to escape their world," Loki continued. "No doubt he had help from Asgard. I had been hoping the loss of Heimdall would cripple them a little bit more than it seems to have…"

Tony nodded along, knowing that the death of Asgard's watcher was a necessary one. It hadn't even been his or Loki's fault, which helped ease the guilt over his happiness at the loss of life. He'd been slain in an attack by the dark elves. Had he remained alive, Tony had no doubt he would have relayed the genius's identity, and Loki's location, to Thor.

"Well, that sucks. They've been downright irritating with all their world-hopping since they got the Tesseract back."

His gaze slid to meet his lover's, mischief glinting from within their depths. A slow smile, wicked and with far too many teeth, stretched across Loki's face in response.

"Why, Anthony, whatever could you possibly be suggesting?"

"Oh, nothing much."

Tony leaned in closer, sliding down off the armrest and slinging a leg across Loki's so he was straddling the god's lap. His coffee was still clutched in one hand, but it had long-since been forgotten. It was habit alone, long ago engrained into Tony's body, that kept the cup from tipping and spilling everywhere.

"I was just _thinking_," he punctuated the word with a kiss, humming at the feeling of Loki's lips against his own, "that it might be about time we took our little toy _back_."

A flick of Loki's wrist and the coffee mugs both disappeared, a clatter from the kitchen indicating they'd ended up in the sink. Tony might have been saddened by the loss if his mind weren't already occupied by more important details…like Loki's tongue licking its way into his mouth.

It hadn't taken long to figure out that one of Loki's kinks was Tony's ability to come up with a good plot. The god clearly appreciated cleverness and Tony was more than happy to provide as long as Loki didn't stop _whatever it was he was doing with his teeth because good GOD that felt good_. Tony whimpered as Loki moved on to kiss along his jaw and bite down savagely on his neck. He opened his mouth to reward Loki the only way he could, a brilliant plan.

"Odin will be expecting something, of course, since Thor just got back, but he won't expect it on Asgard. I say we use your secret passages, sneak in from the-Oh, sweet Jesus! Do that again!"

Loki complied, repeating the intricate move with his tongue once more and making Tony shiver with pleasure. At this rate, he wasn't even going to make it out of his clothes before he made a mess. Somehow, he doubted Loki would mind.

"The guards on the vault will have to be taken down with force, of course, but that shouldn't be a problem. With your shape shifting abilities, it'd be easy to get close enough to silence them without much of a fuss. Then it's just a matter of getting in and grabbing the cube."

He could feel the curve of Loki's smile against his neck and knew the god saw the gaping hole he'd left in his plan on purpose. They both knew it was a taunt, that Tony would not forget something to obvious, but they enjoyed the game too much not to play.

"And what of the Destroyer? It is not a foe easily conquered."

Fingertips skimmed the skin under the hem of Tony's t-shirt, just barely teasing. It was a hint, a glimpse at the reward he would get if he answered correctly. And really, with that carrot dangling before him, how could he not perform at his utmost?

"The Destroyer is just a machine. It's controlled by magic, but a machine none the less. I kind of specialize in those." He was panting now, those fingers inching their way further and further under his shirt. "All we have to do is hit it with some strong EMP bursts. I've already got some that'd work down in the lab. It won't put it down, but it'll be out of commission long enough for us to make our escape."

And then he couldn't speak anymore because Loki's mouth was covering his own, that silver tongue of his living up to its moniker. Everyone thought Thor was the one who was all about togetherness and friendship, but it was Loki who always reacted so nicely to words like 'we' and 'our'. It was something he only ever showed Tony, because Tony was the other half in the 'we' and 'our' equation, and it was a secret the genius would gladly take to his grave.

Tony hadn't meant for things to go quite like this when he'd entered the living room to find that the god had returned home. He'd meant to have a nice little chat, maybe commiserate about how self-righteous Captain America was or how Doom really needed to learn to stay out of their territory, perhaps talk Loki into watching a movie while they snuggled on the couch. He certainly wasn't complaining, though.

Eventually, Loki pulled away, likely because Tony was reaching the point of _really_ needing air. He lay his head on Tony's shoulder, tucking his face into the genius's neck in a way that was not nearly as sexual as it had been moments before. His hands rested on Tony's hips and his thumbs rubbed gently at the patch of skin right above his jeans.

"So we procure the Tesseract and bring it back here. What then? It's presence on Midgard is what called attention to your world in the first place. Surely you do not wish for another Thanos incident."

Tony chuckled, one hand coming up to card through Loki's hair. It was stunning, really, how quickly the couple could flit between moods. Give them another five minutes and they'd either be screaming their hatred for one another or boning on the carpet. It was really a toss up.

"I was actually thinking that might be _exactly_ what we wanted…"

One imperious eyebrow arched and Loki's expression was politely expectant. He knew Tony well enough by this point that he wasn't falling for the shock factor statement. It warmed Tony's chest a little bit, to know he was trusted to not have gone completely mad.

"Think about it. We know that the Tesseract is what Thanos wants. Maybe it's not even about that particular one. Maybe he's interested in any of the Infinity Stones, but that's the one we can get our hands on easiest. He knows he can't storm Asgard for it. He's not ready for that kind of confrontation yet, but he'd probably be willing to give Earth another shot."

He could see understanding bloom in Loki's eyes and he grinned at the thought of the god keeping up with him. There were so few individuals who could that it really excited Tony to be able to watch it happen. Besides, he totally agreed with Loki. Smart _was_ the new sexy. (Not that the god wasn't both. He was _totally_ both.)

"What if we brought the Tesseract back here and dangled it like bait in front of his nose? It wouldn't be easy, but if we were properly prepared and managed to draw him out of whatever cave he's been hiding in…"

He trailed off when he caught the look in Loki's eye. Oh yeah, they were absolutely going to be boning on the carpet.

A/N: This was one of my favorite…there is more to come! Don't forget to check out zombified419's work!


	7. Evil Tony 3

A/N: And here's another one! I hope you all are enjoying these!

Prompt: Evil!Tony

Whispers in the Dark

It sent shivers up Loki's spine to feel his presence, to _know_ the mortal was there even before he could see the man. He turned slowly, taking in his quarters at SHIELD, the addition of fur and tapestries to make it feel more like home. The mortal's cloaking technology was good, but it could only counteract the physical senses and not the magical ones that ran through Loki's veins. Still, it'd taken Loki a minute to notice, having been able to half-way cross the room before picking up on it.

He'd been on Midgard for nearly a year and a half, having agreed to assist Thor in its defense a penance for his crime against the Jontunar. There was nothing he could do for Jotunheim, his destruction too complete, but Thor had begged Odin to give Loki a second chance instead of throwing him in the dungeons, to let him benefit another race instead. Odin, of course, listened the moment it was not Loki speaking in his own defense.

His bitterness towards the All-Father had not faded in the slightest during Loki's banishment. He had come to love Thor again, as one would an over-eager puppy that occasionally proved itself clever. He appreciated the loyalty that Thor had shown after his initial actions, how his brother had gone to great lengths to show that he did not care about Loki's heritage. They weren't through the woods yet, but they were getting better, for sure. Frigga, too, he still loved as a mother.

"It's the magic, isn't it? I fuckin' _hate_ magic."

Ah. There he was. Tony Stark lay sprawled across Loki's bed, the helmet of his Stealth Suit now sitting beside him. He'd designed this one to be extremely low-weight and it was constructed of more fabric than metal, though wires and programing still ran throughout. It wasn't a battle suit and was drastically different from anything else he had created. Loki was pretty sure he was the only SHIELD agent to have ever seen it.

"So I see you have decided to burden me with your glorious presence once more."

He didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice and it did nothing but make Tony's lips quirk upward. They'd always shared a connection through their banter, even before they'd started sleeping together. It probably wouldn't do well for Loki's parole if anyone found out he was having _relations_ with SHIELD's Enemy Number One, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. The Man of Iron had proved himself to be the most fascinating creature in this pitiful Realm.

"Good to see you, too, Cupcake. How's your brother? He took some pretty hard hits in that last scuffle we had."

It was this contradiction in the mortal's character that so thoroughly drew Loki to him. He wouldn't hesitate for a moment to deliver a possibly-fatal blow to those Loki cared for but would turn right around and check to make sure they were okay as soon as the battle was over. He didn't pull his punches with Loki, either, and the god had wound up in medbay on more than one occasion because of it. (And he gave as good as he got, so Loki couldn't exactly be upset.)

Tony never treated him like he was fragile or lesser, just because they were involved with each other. On the field, they were enemies to the core. Off of it, they were fire and ice. Loki could already see the heat in the mortal's eyes as he stood from the bed and approached his lover. His gloves were pulled off and tossed to the side, landing near the helmet. Tanned fingers caressed the side of Loki's face and he leaned into the touch, enjoying the contact. He eyed the mortal before him, noting the tightness in his face. Something was bothering him.

"He has recovered with his usual swiftness. I imagine he will be looking to offer you some payback the next time you face one another. But I don't think that is why you are here. Come, out with it."

He tilted his face to press a kiss into the palm of Tony's hand before turning away and crossing to the small seating area he had off to the side of his quarters. SHIELD had not been generous with their space, but he had done with it what he could. He sank into one of the heavy chairs that had been draped with fur. Just because he had no love for Odin did not mean that he didn't miss the Realm where he had grown up.

Instead of taking the other chair as expected, Tony bent over Loki, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss. Then he was circling the chair, wrapping his arms around the god from behind and resting his chin on the other's shoulder. It was odd behavior for the mortal, almost clingy, and it made Loki frown. He didn't mind the contact, but it proved more than anything else that there was something not quite right going on.

Another kiss was pressed to the side of his neck and Loki tilted his head away to provide the mortal with better access. If Tony did not wish to talk about it, then there were no words in the Nine Realms that could convince him to. Silence, Loki had learned early on, was the best way to make the mortal open up. So he would wait, the length of his life providing him with plenty of patience.

Tony let out a little huff of hair, tickling Loki's skin and causing a few strands of his hair to flutter out of the way. He hummed softly, a filler noise to stave off the on-coming confession. His fingers found the straps of leather and metal that crisscrossed Loki's chest and gripped them almost desperately. With his face still pressed into the juncture of Loki's shoulder, the mortal finally began to talk.

"Are you happy here?"

Letting his head fall backwards to lay on the other's shoulder, almost a reverse of the mortal's position, Loki made no effort to hide his scowl. It wasn't like Tony could see it anyway, his face hidden as it was.

"Your planet has its own appeal, I suppose. I certainly enjoy the variance in your cultures, as we have nothing of the sort on Asgard. And there is much to learn in your history and sciences. You have been quite instrumental in helping me learn of those. I thank you for it."

"No, I meant...with SHIELD."

Ah. SHIELD had always been a sore spot for Tony, for reasons that were not entirely clear to Loki. He knew that the mortal had discovered things about the organization that made him uncomfortable, but he wasn't sure exactly what they were. One of his occasional allies, the Winter Soldier, also seemed to have a particular issue with the group. Still, it did not explain why he would bring it up now, after they had been together for so long and it hadn't been an issue.

"Why do you ask?"

The arms wrapped around him tightened a bit, as though Tony thought if he squeezed hard enough, Loki would never leave. It was rare for him to show such insecurities and a sick part of Loki cherished the moment of being about to see it. At the very least, it assured him on Tony's affection.

"I love you, Loki."

Silence reigned between them, Loki's eyes widened slightly in shock. Though he was well aware of the fact that they each shared feelings much deeper than their relationship suggested it was the first time either of them had actually said so out loud. They fucked and they talked about science and magic, very occasionally things from their pasts, but there had been no moment when they had become a couple or established any bond of permanence.

"I need more, more than this, more of _you_." Tony had started speaking again, filling the void Loki had not intended to leave open. "My love is yours for the taking, despite all the lies I tell the world about not giving a shit about anything or anyone. I want to be the one you run to, the one you hold on to. I want to be able to consume you like a fire, and for you to consume me in turn. _God_, you pretty much already have."

There was an odd sensation in Loki's chest as he listened to the mortal's word, a sort of tugging and desire. He'd had the thought many times during their meetings that he simply wanted to consume the man, to mesh their selves so closely together that they could not be separated, but mortal lives were short and their attentions even more so. He'd known Tony's affections to run deep, but it had not occurred to him that they might actually be on the exact same page.

"Rhodey came over the other night, you know. He's still pissed about the whole 'going supervillain' thing, but he's coming around. We got drunk, like, _really_ drunk, which we tend to do." Tony was rambling, but that was just another thing he tended to do. "We got to talking, and so, of course, I ended up talking about _you_."

Loki's eyebrows shot up in alarm. If his relationship with Tony was discovered, if SHIELD knew that he was fraternizing with the enemy, he needed to be prepared. The Director had never been a huge fan to begin with and he would take no small pleasure in being able to get Loki out of the way without Thor being able to argue.

"No, no, it's okay! God, you tensed up like a cat over a bathtub! I trust Rhodey, Lokes, he's not gonna say anything."

The, "He knows better," went unsaid.

"The point is, I started saying all this stupid stuff, stuff you'd expect to hear in a book about sparkly vampires for pre-pubescent girls. Or maybe a Harlequin romance novel. Those can get pretty bad about the declarations and idiocy sometimes, too. Not that I read those. I don't. They're only around the mansion 'cause Pepper keeps leaving them there."

Loki was about to redirect the mortal's attention once again when Tony drew a deep, shuddering breath. Suddenly, he was all back to business as he stood, finally releasing the god. He stepped around him to settle in the other chair, avoiding Loki's gaze the entire time. Every feature was lined with the expectation of rejection. Apparently he had not seen the growing connection between them so much as Loki had.

"A lot of it is fuzzy, you know? That happens when I drink with Rhodey, always drink too much. But I remember looking at this vase of flowers and thinking, 'I want to do that for him. I want to turn his tears into roses.' And isn't that just fucking _stupid_? Like how does that even make sense? But that feeling hasn't changed, not in the slightest."

His eyes finally flickered up to meet Loki's, naked fear broadcasting from within them. Loki leant forward to trail his fingers along Tony's wrist before twining their hands together.

"Good. I should hate to think I was alone in my affections."

He smirked as he watched the understanding dawn on Tony's face. He stood gracefully, each small movement calculated as he pulled Tony up to meet him, one arm wrapping around his waist to pull their bodies flush against each other. He captured Tony's lips in a kiss, fierce but gentle. When they finally parted, Tony was still looking at him with a sense of wonder in his eyes.

"You'll never be alone. Never again, I swear it." He stretched up on his toes to kiss Loki again, just a short one, before pulling away. "But I can't…not while SHIELD…You don't know what they've _done,_ what's inside them!"

The pain was clear in his eyes, the utter agony of denying himself exactly what he wanted. It was the only reason Loki was able to stay sane, to not internalize those words as a slight against himself. It was why they understood each other so well, they shared the same issues.

Loki had never been fond of SHIELD to begin with, only falling in with them because they housed his brother's teammates. He did not answer to them, was not an agent. Truth be told, he was only a tentative ally at best, which probably leant itself to Fury's dislike for his general being. Loki certainly didn't trust the organization.

He'd learned long ago that any force that hoarded so much technology and intelligence was bound to become corrupt at one point or another. (And he politely ignored that it was often _he_ who had corrupted such things in the past.) Even if their intentions were for the best, it often led to disaster eventually. The road to Hell, and all that, as the mortals said.

Tony, though, he trusted implicitly, which was extremely rare and odd for him. He had come to know the mortal, though, in ways more intimate than even their carnal meetings. He'd stolen into the man's head as he slept and felt his very heart. It was the absolute first thing he had done once he'd figured out his own desires. Because, really, Loki was just a distrustful asshole and he wasn't letting himself go all in unless he could be sure he wouldn't get hurt…again.

So if Tony said that SHIELD was a problem, a danger, then Loki didn't need to know exactly what it was that made them that way. It would come in handy, sure, but it wasn't a necessity. Besides, Loki knew Tony well enough to know that the other would tell him, likely sooner rather than later once his next words were out in the open.

"Very well, then, let them burn."

A/N: Aaaaand on to the next one. Don't forget to comment!


	8. Evil Tony 4

A/N: I've actually had this particular idea in my head for a while. I just used this as an opportunity to get it out.

Prompt: STILL Evil!Tony

It's Called a Honeypot

Clint was angry, so blindingly angry. He was squeezed into the vents of the enemy's base so tightly that he had to shimmy back and forth on his stomach just to move, but his entire body was shivering with rage. He hadn't felt such raw emotion in years…It was worse than when he'd found out Loki killed Coulson, worse than when Fury had revealed that to be a lie.

This was so much worse than that. It was a betrayal of the deepest sort, and Clint, even through his anger, couldn't seem to understand how it was happening. Because the fact that Tony was here _working_ for HYDRA instead of being held _captive_ by them? It didn't make any sense. It wasn't like Afghanistan either, when he was working under duress. There were no signs that he was a captive at all.

Clint worked his way out of the vents, away from the compound. Tony had disappeared over a week ago and the team had split up as soon as they'd had the options narrowed down enough. He made sure there was enough distance between himself and the facility before Clint put a finger to his com, opening up a channel to the other Avengers.

"He's here. I found him."

Steve was the first to respond, voice a flood of relief.

"Thank goodness! Everyone withdraw and head to Hawkeye's loca-"

"He's working for HYDRA."

Clint's voice was flat, controlled. Inside he bubbled with turmoil. He hated to hear the relief and hope in Steve's voice while knowing that Stark had betrayed them. It was just _wrong_. Steve's voice was coming across the coms again, but it was his Captain America Needs To Know What's Going On Right NOW voice.

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Clint couldn't hold it back anymore. He found himself shouting into the unit, too upset to keep his voice down. This is why he'd moved so far away from the base earlier.

"I mean Stark fucking works for HYDRA! I mean he's in there going about his fucking business like he God damn belongs and they're _letting _him!"

"Was he hurt? Did they torture him to get his coopera-"

"No! Fucking listen to me! He _works for HYDRA_. He's one of them."

"Barton."

Natasha's voice was like an island of calm in the sea of chaos that was his head. He wasn't used to losing his cool like that. It shouldn't have happened…but _damn_ it hurt like a bitch to realize his best friend had just been playing him.

"I'm fine. I'll wait for your arrival."

Steve didn't sound happy with that response, but at least he accepted it.

"We'll be there soon."

Less than four hours later, the team was assembled, or at least most of it. Sam was back at the tower, keeping an eye on Bucky. Steve's old friend still hadn't fully recovered from his bout of brainwashing and had to be kept under supervision. So it was just the original team, minus Iron Man, who carried out the assault on the HYDRA base.

The good thing about being on a team with both Thor and the Hulk was that there weren't many bases, headquarters, or hideouts that could stand up to an attack from either of them, much less the two put together. It only took a few minutes to make their way inside the base and then the rest of the team were able to get a piece of the action.

They worked together with an ease of those who had been doing it for a long time, covering for each other's openings. Clint couldn't help but scowl at the thought that Tony had once been a part of that, too. How long had he been working for the enemy? How long had it all been a lie?

Instead of wallowing in his anger and letting it distract him, Clint pushed the feeling to the back of his mind. He focused on the mission, on getting through these HYDRA agents and taking control of the base. He focused on finding Stark and dragging his ass back to the tower so they could find out what the fuck was going on. He put an arrow through another HYDRA agent's eye.

It was just him, Nat, and Steve who finally found Tony, in the same room where Clint had seen him earlier. The guards immediately opened fire, turning their weapons on the newly-arrived Avengers. Clint used the equipment around the room for cover as he worked to pick the guards off one by one. Cap was doing his part in the hand-to-hand department while Natasha made her way towards where Tony was typing away furiously at a computer console.

Clint ducked his head low and rolled out into the open. There were only a few HYDRA agents left in the room and he wanted to make damn sure there was nothing left to distract them from Tony's interrogation. He weaved through the room, trusting Cap to handle the rest. Tony's eyes were still glued to the computer screen and Natasha was speaking to him softly.

"Hey! I hope you've got a good fucking explanation for this, you traitorous bastard!"

They both whirled around to stare at him, Natasha focusing in on his face.

"Clint-"

Her tone was warning, but it was too late as Tony grabbed the gun from her hip holster and leveled it at the team's archer. His eyes were hard as he pulled the trigger, sending a 9mm bullet whizzing straight past Barton's head to bury itself between the eyes of the HYDRA agent behind him. Without pausing for a moment, Tony turned back to the computer to enter one last command.

He turned to Natasha then, all but ignoring Clint's presence now that there wasn't a threat to distract him. The archer's head was buzzing, trying to process what was going on. Nothing was making any sense, especially not the way Natasha was looking at Tony like nothing had changed.

"There. The virus should fully infiltrate their systems within a few hours. We'll have all the intel we could possibly want then."

Natasha nodded, in that distracted way of hers that said she knew the other person had more important things on their mind and they needed to get to it. Stark wasn't even looking, instead shoving her Glock into the waistband of his pants and grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair. He was getting ready to go somewhere and Clint couldn't understand why Natasha wasn't _stopping him_.

"Where is he?" the redhead asked, following quickly on Tony's heels as he strode away, all purpose and objective. Clint headed after them.

"Basement level. Cell 3A. It has magical enhancements provided by Doom. That's how they were able to keep him contained for so long."

Cap joined them as they hurried out the back door of the lab, looking as confused as Clint felt. Neither Natasha nor Stark seemed to have to time to stop and explain, too focused on whatever goal they both shared. Clint felt like there'd been a train wreck inside of his skull. It was like one of those dreams where nothing made any sense but you still couldn't seem to tell that you were asleep.

They moved farther down in the facility, using the stairs to skip three floors between themselves and where they needed to go. The bottom level was solid concrete, from the looks of it, imposing and impersonal. Florescent lights lined the ceiling and the walls were spotted with doors. Each was made of a heavy metal, no window from which to see through. A keypad was imbedded in the wall next to each door, a passcode required to gain entry.

There were four guards on the level, the rest presumably having been called away to assist in the invasion of the base. Tony and Nat took care of them without blinking, not leaving a second for Clint or Cap to even think about helping. They were scanning the doors on either side of the room and Tony let out a triumphant shout when he found the right one.

Natasha was there in seconds, scanning the keypad to bring up the numbers pressed most often. She dialed in the code and the light flashed green to signal they'd gained entry. Tony was about to yank the door open when Clint's fist slammed into it, cutting the billionaire off and blocking his way. Brown eyes snapped up to glare viscously into Clint's own.

"_Back off, Barton_…"

But Clint paid his dangerous tone no heed, instead calling upon his own anger.

"Not until somebody tells me what the FUCK is going on!"

He was shouting again, he knew, but he couldn't really stop himself. It didn't matter much, anyway, because the next second Nat was grabbing him by the collar and yanking him away from the door. Stark had it open in a heartbeat, dashing inside like his very life depended on it. Natasha looked mad, but it was aimed at Clint.

"HYDRA captured Stark's sweetheart. We needed to stage a rescue mission and get intel on HYDRA so this couldn't happen again. The best way to do that was for Stark to infiltrate their operation. They always were too hungry for his tech for their own good. We were just lucky HYDRA didn't know about their relationship."

Cap was stepping around them, then, finally getting a look into the room past the open door. He made a choked sort of noise in the back of his throat and his eyes seemed riveted on the scene before him. Frustrated beyond all belief, Clint darted forward to get a look for himself. He hadn't even known Tony was _interested_ in someone.

Inside the room, Tony was crouched on his knees, spewing comforting, love-filled babble at the figure curled up in his arms. The man was filthy, bloody and wounded. He looked tired and was leaning against Tony completely, one hand fisted tightly in the front of the inventor's shirt. It didn't make Clint feel any better at all to realize that Tony Stark's sweetheart was none other than Loki Laufeyson.

Why could his life never, _ever_ be easy?

A/N: Half-way there, guys! How are you liking this spectrum of Tony so far?


	9. Evil Tony 5

A/N: Alright, so this is my ABSOLUTE favorite of all of the ones I've written for this prompt. Seriously. I'm in love with it. I was almost tempted to post it last.

Prompt: Evil!Tony

The Best Kind of Surprises

It'd stuck Loki as odd, of course, when he entered the Avengers Tower to find is still and silent as a grave. The quinjet was still docked and he hadn't observed any of the team leaving during his time of surveillance. The only one who should have been out of the tower was Thor, back on Asgard for some business or other. He'd planned to take advantage of his absence to rid himself of the nuisance that was the Avengers team.

No alarm had sounded upon his arrival either, which was also odd. Stark's construct, the computer that ran the house as well as his suits, had always sounded an alarm during his previous visits. He'd been counting on it to bring the scattered Avengers to his location so he did not have to go through the trouble of seeking them out. Had someone else had Loki's same idea and already come to attack the tower? Surely he would have noticed…

He crept his ways through the dark hallways of the tower, eyes open and ears sharp. He cast his magic out in an attempt to feel any approaching threat. It was making his skin crawl for nothing to happen. Room after room was just empty, void of even the faintest hint of activity. Every time he'd been to the tower previously, it'd been full of light and sound. Now, each room was dark.

He was on his third floor by the time he finally saw a sign on life. The light was on in the kitchen of whoever's quarters he was in. There was still no noise, no sound of movement, but it was closer than anything he'd found so far. He approached the room cautiously, utterly silent as he moved closer and closer. It wasn't until he rounded the doorway that he saw the body sprawled across the floor.

Even outside of his uniform, clad only in sweats and a plain white t-shirt, Captain America was easy to recognize. A sandwich sat on the counter, half-made, and his head lay several feet away. Dead eyes stared blankly at the god standing in the doorway, blind to the blood splattered all across the room. Loki nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice that came from behind him.

"I didn't want to have to worry about the healing factor kicking in and undoing all my hard work. I figured if he could recover from his head being taken off his shoulders then he probably deserved to live, anyway."

Loki whirled around to face the voice, eyes wide with shock. Stark seemed completely unfazed by either his presence or the fact that his teammate's body was sprawled across the kitchen floor. Blood coated each of his arms, splattered across his tank top and jeans. There were flecks of it on the arc reactor where it peaked out from the top of his shirt, the blue light from within making them appear purple. It was smeared across his face, too, left behind as he wiped away sweat.

His eyes twinkled with amusement, though, just as they did every time Loki had seen them, and his smirk was mischievous at best. He stepped around the god and entered the kitchen, completely ignoring the body on the floor. He opened the fridge to pull out some deli meat and went about finishing the sandwich, casual as can be.

It took Loki's brain a minute to reboot. Because this? This was definitely not something he would have ever anticipated. There'd never been a hint of manic insanity in Stark's gaze before. There still wasn't, but he had just confessed to killing his teammate like it was nothing.

"You did this?"

Loki just needed to clarify, to make sure he hadn't somehow hallucinated Stark's last words. Because if he hadn't…if Stark was capable of performing such acts without the even the slightest hint of regret…well, then Loki might just take him up on that drink he'd offered so long ago.

Stark glanced at the body on the floor, nudging the decapitated head to the side with the toe of his bare foot.

"Yeah. He never even saw it coming. If he'd bothered to look up when I greeted him, he'd have noticed I was already covered in blood. Sandwich?"

He'd placed his finished masterpiece on a plate and held it out to Loki, there were bloody fingerprints on the bread. Loki could feel the curling of desire in his chest. What he really wanted was to wrap his lips around those red-coated fingers and suck the blood right off, lick Stark's entire body clean of the mess and then watch him be covered in it all over again.

"I'm alright."

Stark shrugged and bit into the sandwich himself, humming happily. He crossed the kitchen again to pass the god.

"C'mon. I'll show you the others."

A shiver of thrill ran up Loki's spine. He hadn't dared to hope, though he'd known it was likely, that there would be _others_. How many had Stark killed? Two? Three? The entire team? More? It crossed his mind that he should probably be worried about his own safety, too, but his mind was too crowded with desire to really dwell on it.

Stark led him out of the Captain's quarters and towards the elevator, eating his sandwich along the way. He bumped shoulders with Loki as the doors slid shut behind them and the box began moving downwards. A huge grin was plastered across the mortal's face.

"So I'm a little surprised you're taking this all in stride. JARVIS let me know when you entered the building, but I kinda expected more…I dunno, freaking out, I guess."

Loki's own lips quirked upwards a bit, amused by Stark's dialogue.

"I assure you, it was not a revelation I was expecting. Still," he leaned forward to lick a stripe along Stark's neck, almost purring as the tang of the blood hit his tastebuds, "I cannot say it was a displeasing discovery."

Finally, _finally_, the man looked shocked, staring at him with wide eyes and a mouth hanging open. It appeared that Loki had found the secret to shutting him up. He'd have to keep that in mind.

"You mean, uh, I mean, you don't…you like this?"

Loki smiled as the man stumbled over his words, not seeming quite sure of what to say. It was adorable, a sentiment he was quite aware he shouldn't be feeling for a man covered head to toe in the blood of those he'd slaughtered. He pulled Stark in close, pressing their bodies together and getting that glorious, sexy blood smeared all over his own armor.

"Oh, yes…I like _this_."

And then he was kissing his enemy, pressing their lips together in a passionate dance. Stark moaned at the sensation and he took the opportunity to sweep his tongue into the mortal's mouth. Loki had admired Stark's body for some time, but he'd never felt such a longing for him until he learned this latest secret. They finally broke apart as the doors dinged their arrival.

Stark panted against him before blinking a couple of times and exiting the elevator. He had to step over the body of the newest Avenger, Falcon or some such nonsense, in order to do so. He looked a little bit dazed, eyes never leaving Loki.

"Yeah. I, uh, I like that too!"

Loki smirked as he watched Stark acting so flustered when the body of his teammate lay between them. Loki's eyes darted downward as he stepped over the crumpled form. He didn't see a wound, but there was a puddle of blood spreading from beneath where the victim lay.

"Oh, right. Manners. Duh. Pepper's always getting onto me about those. Sam, meet Loki. Loki, Sam Wilson. I don't think you ever encountered him much…guess now you _really_ won't."

Loki hummed, both in amusement at Stark's parody of an introduction and in answer to his question. This was actually the closest he had ever been to the man that now lay dead on the floor. The entrance to Stark's lab lay right before them and Loki felt his gaze drawn to it. There was something inside of him that told him there were absolute wonders beyond that door, and not just the inventions Stark always came up with.

As though reading his mind, Stark led the way forward, beckoning for Loki to follow him. He grinned and spread his arms as soon as they were in the lab, presenting it for his companion to examine. Machinery, of course, littered the room. One entire wall was taken up by different varieties of the Iron Man armor. It was a wet dream come true for any scientist.

But the true prize…oh, the true prize was the three dead Avengers spread across the floor and one work table. The Black Widow was sprawled across the form of the fallen Clint Barton. She'd taken a bullet to the back of the head, a nice, clean shot. He hadn't been so lucky. He had at least six bullet holes in him that Loki could see.

The body on the work table was a work of art, though. Really. Loki felt his heart trill at the mere sight of Dr. Bruce Banner laid out gently across its surface. He looked as calm as ever and Loki could have almost believed him to be asleep if it weren't for the way his abdomen and chest had been cut open and some of his organs removed to be strewn across the work station.

Loki's eyes flickered to Stark questioningly, but the mortal's eyes were fixated on his 'Science Bro', soft and tender. He crossed the space between them easily and ran a tan hand through the man's curly brown hair, petting him almost like a cat. A small smile curled his lips.

"Brucie was my first of the team…I was gonna take my time, you know? Kill them off one-by-one while they tried to figure out who was doing it. It took _so much_ sedative to put him under…I couldn't risk the Hulk coming out."

His gaze grew sharp then, and his eyes flicked to where Clint lay, eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"And then birdbrain over there had to interrupt me. So, of course, the jig was up. I couldn't let him get away. He'd blab to the others in a heartbeat. Good thing I keep a gun in the lab. If he'd made it out the door…"

He shook his head in regret. Loki was only half listening as he stalked towards the mortal, his arousal hanging heavy in the air.

"Black Widow, though…she was just a disappointment. I-"

Loki caught him off by covering the mortal's lips with his own. He plundered the man's hot, pliant mouth and groaned as he ground his hips forward.

"I am sure you will be able to tell me just as well once my cock is buried inside of you, Stark."

The mortal's rich laugh permeated the air and he wound his arms around the back of Loki's neck, hopping up to sit on the lab table that still held Banner's corpse. He purred as he pulled the god closer to him.

"Please, call me Tony."

A/N: Now, I'm not SAYING that this could become something longer…I'm just saying it could be a possibility if the proper interest was shown…So let me know!


	10. Evil Tony 6

A/N: Almost there guys! This one was supposed be light-hearted and amusing…until it suddenly wasn't…I apologize for my brain.

Prompt: Evil!Tony

Expectations

As far as expectations went, pretty much all of Clint's were shattered at this point. He hadn't expected Loki to show up back on Earth. He hadn't expected him to pull minor pranks for the better part of two years before launching into another full-blown world domination plot. He sure as Hell hadn't expected that plot to work.

But it had. The Avengers had lost and Loki had seized control of the world. There were still pockets of resistance, of course, Clint was sure, but they wouldn't last long. The god had too much force behind him, had too much inside information. Without SHIELD, there wasn't much standing in his way, either. So now the team was being held captive by the ruler of the world.

Clint struggled in the grip of his guard, despite already knowing it was useless. He was shirtless, and _cold_, and the guard had already proved himself stronger than Clint, but none of that was gonna keep him from fighting. Loki had taken over his mind during his first visit to Earth and Clint wasn't looking to make anything easier for him this go round.

He stumbled as he entered the room of Stark Tower that looked out over the landing platform. It was the same room where Loki had once been pounded into the floor. Now he was using it to survey his kingdom. He was pushed down onto his knees next to the other Avengers and took a moment to look them over. It was the first time he'd gotten to see them since their defeat over a week ago. He had to make sure they were okay.

They all look mostly unharmed, much like himself, and that was a relief. Unlike himself, though, they were all still in uniform. High-tech cuffs held their hands behind their backs, just like Clint's did. He didn't need to wonder what they did. He already knew they were programmable to counteract any powers they were needed to. They were escape proof…Tony always tested his inventions thoroughly before the team started using them. And speaking of…

"Where's Stark?"

Natasha just shrugged, giving him an odd look when she saw what he was wearing. Out of all of them, she looked the most unfazed. Her poker face was up and nailed in place. Steve's eyes were glued on Clint's guard, pain pouring out of them like a waterfall. He and Sam had never given up on finding Bucky, he just hadn't expected to find him like this.

"He hasn't been brought in yet. I'm sure he's next."

Bruce's voice was tired, and his entire frame sagged. More than likely he'd been drugged as an extra precaution. He'd been propped up against one of the sofas in the room and he leaned into it heavily.

"Yes, well, you'd be wrong."

Suddenly, Loki was there, striding into their line of sight with all the confidence of someone who'd just succeeded in taking over the planet. His grin turned especially gleeful as he saw his 'brother' forced to kneel before him in defeat. Then his eyes slid to Clint and he stopped in his tracks.

Now, Clint wasn't as good at reading facial expressions as Natasha was, but he was plenty good enough to know what Loki's was saying. His mouth was dropped open just a smidge and his eyebrows were pulled together in confusion. The god clearly had no idea why Clint was wearing what he was wearing. In true smartass fashion, Clint opened his mouth to call him out on it.

"Yeah, no, I'm with you on this one. I wasn't expecting your guard dog over there to pull me out of my cell and force me into a slave Leia outfit before bringing me up here, either."

Loki blinked, and then blinked again. Finally, he turned to face the door he had just come through, out of their line of sight.

"Is this another reference that I have somehow slighted and you insist upon me learning?"

"Nah. It was just funny." And then Tony was there, too, stumbling slightly and slurring his words and he nearly sloshed the alcohol right out of his glass. "But you should totally learn Star Wars, anyway. Basic Earth culture and all that."

His grin was shit-eating and he didn't even glance in their direction as he bee-lined for Loki. Clint could see the flush across his face and the slight hesitance in every step he took. Jesus, just how sloshed was he? Was this how Loki was keeping him complacent?

"What have you done to friend Stark, brother?!"

Thor sounded angry, and yeah, Clint totally got that. No one on the team liked seeing Tony lose himself in a bottle, and he'd been doing a lot better about his alcohol consumption in the past several months. At first, Thor hadn't understood their concern. But Bruce had sat him down for a talk about what too much alcohol could do to the body and from then on Thor had been with them 100%.

Tony stumbled the last couple of feet to Loki's side and had to grab onto the god's shoulder to keep from falling. He raised one hand to his head, pressing his glass against one temple and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Whoa, big guy, you wanna keep your voice down? My head is _pounding_ over here."

Tony was leaning on Loki, heavily, and Loki wasn't doing anything to stop him. It was confusing, because Clint couldn't see at all what the god could be getting out of this. He definitely didn't understand why Loki put one finger under Tony's chin and tilted it upwards.

"Perhaps your head would not feel quite so poorly if you were not drinking quite so much, dear."

Tony huffed out a laugh, more of a heavy exhale than anything else.

"We're supposed to be celebrating, _cupcake_. Maybe no one told you. Did no one tell you?" He reached up to curl one hand around the back of Loki's neck and pulled him in close. "We just conquered the world."

And then they were kissing. Loki. And Tony. Were kissing. Fucking _kissing_. And Clint's brain short-circuited. How was he even supposed to process that? What the Hell did that even mean? Were they a thing? Did Loki brainwash Tony and turn him into some sort of sex slave? He flicked a glance at Natasha, trying to garner some help, but her face hadn't changed. If anything, her mask was thicker than ever.

When the two finally broke apart, Tony turned to look at the group kneeling before them. His back was pressed to Loki's chest and the god had wound his arms around the shorter man. His chin was propped on top of Tony's head.

"Oh, yeah. I should probably mention, totally betrayed you guys." He took another swig from his glass. "_Natalie_ over there was entirely right in her assessment, way back when. I was never hero material." He grinned wolfishly. "I've always been more of the bad guy sort."

When Steve spoke, it was with all the authority of Captain America pushed into his voice.

"Tony, I know this isn't you. Whatever Loki's done to you, it's okay. We'll get you out of it."

Clint had no idea how he managed to sound so confident about that last part. He wasn't even sure they could get _themselves_ out of this mess. But it only seemed to piss Tony off. He broke free of Loki's grasp and stomped across the floor, squatting down in front of Steve to glare him right in the eye.

"You don't _get it_, Capsicle," he all but spat. "Loki hasn't done _anything_ to me! I'm here because I want to be here. I betrayed you because I wanted to betray you! I've never been a good guy. SHIELD just slapped me with that title and I figured it might be useful to hang onto for a while."

He grabbed Steve's chin and tilted it from side to side a bit, examining him.

"I'll give you this, though. You're pretty hot for a self-righteous moron. Maybe later, when we're done blowing up that little uprising in North Korea, Loki and I can come down to your cell and he can show you exactly how he invited me to join his cause. I have to admit, I've been _dying_ to find out what else that serum enhanced."

He waggled his eyebrows a bit before bursting out laughing and letting go of Steve's face. He stood and turned away, retreating once again towards Loki.

"Oh, man! You should have seen your _face_!" He was still laughing, but Clint wanted nothing more than to punch him square in the jaw. "Don't worry, Cap. I'm really not interested. You're not my type. I much prefer my gentlemen to be of the…darker variety. Like your little friend over there."

He tilted his head to the side to indicate Bucky, who had his arms crossed and hadn't moved since Loki had entered the room. He moved his metal arm only to shoot Tony the bird. It only succeeded in making the other man pout and head in his direction.

"I'm sorry, Barnes…Did I hurt your feelings? Tell you what, I'll let you fuck me first tonight. And then I'll suck you off while Loki takes me from behind. Will that make it up to you?"

The metal hand was suddenly on Tony's face, the thumb slipping into his mouth, and the Winter Soldier's eyes looked darker than Clint had ever seen them.

"I'm not waiting until tonight."

And yeah, okay, Clint definitely hadn't been expecting _that._

A/N: Yeah, so, Bucky came out of nowhere…and then the sexy times…I swear it wasn't my fault.


	11. Evil Tony 7

A/N: This one is actually not FrostIron. It's just Tony…but it's a good set up piece. I really liked it.

Prompt: Evil!Tony

Origins

Tony Stark had never had an easy life, no matter what the tabloid or the idiots of the general population seemed to think. Sure, he had money. He'd grown up with servants willing to do just about anything at his beck and call. That didn't mean that his life was easy, not by any means.

Howard and Maria hadn't been ready for a child, he didn't think. They never would have been ready. So they tried to shove their newly arrived, unwanted burden off on the wait staff of the manor. The less they saw of their son, the better. Maria, at least, might have had an excuse. She'd been on medication for longer than Tony could remember. Even when she was physically present, she wasn't really there.

Howard, though, Howard was a drunk, and a belligerent one. He didn't really care who was in his presence once he'd had a few too many. He was more than happy to yell at any and all of them, family, staff, or colleague. The problem was that he _always_ had a few too many by the time Tony was old enough to understand what was going on.

Tony was an impressive child, as anyone who wasn't his parent would tell you. There wasn't a single person who could talk to him for more than a few minutes and walk away _not_ knowing that he was brilliant. He built his first circuit board at an age when most children were still learning how to form sentences. It took him no time at all to get noticed by the teachers at school.

He moved through grades like they were water, tearing through the material and learning at a pace that amazed his instructors, but never the two people he wanted to prove himself to the most. The continued rejection, the stubborn way his father would ignore him and push him aside, only led to Tony becoming more determined and more focused on his studies.

With each new peer-group he encountered, the age gap grew. It always started out the same. The girls would coo over him for the first few days, calling him adorable and treating him more like a pet than a person, and the boys would roll their eyes and scoff. Then Tony would get caught up on the material, match his peers' knowledge, and surpass it by leaps and bounds. The amusement at his presence turned to jealousy and dislike. If he stuck around long enough, that dislike would turn to hate.

The majority of his peers weren't about to do anything drastic to someone so much younger than themselves, but that didn't mean that every once in a while 'accidents' didn't happen. Tony's main caretaker, Jarvis, was obviously concerned, but there wasn't much he could do about it. In time, Tony learned how to grit his teeth and take it, whatever 'it' happened to be that go round.

Eventually, he stopped thinking 'It can't get any worse than this' because it always, _always_ got worse. So instead of focusing on the living beings that surrounded him, Tony focused on his machines, his lines of code and his designs for future inventions. He gave them everything he had so there was nothing left over.

Tony felt very comfortable in saying that there were only two people in his life that actually cared about him. One was Jarvis, who had practically raised him and was more of a father figure than anyone else in Tony's young life. The other was Howard's business partner, Obadiah Stane. Obie had been around Tony's entire life, too, though he'd been farther away than Jarvis.

Obie would always bring Tony a piece of candy or some small treat whenever he came to the house and always had a kind word ready as he ruffled the boy's hair. Howard would scowl and bluster about Stane spoiling the boy, but that never seemed to stop him. It was to Obie that Tony showed his designs for future Stark Industries weapons and the older man always lavished him with praise for the work he had done. Every once in a while he would even take one of the works to Howard and get it sent off to the R&D department. They couldn't tell anyone they were Tony's designs, of course, but they both knew and that was what mattered.

Tony had just graduated high school when Jarvis was asked, told, to leave the Stark household. He'd stepped between Howard and a house maid before Howard could strike her and it had infuriated the businessman to no end. He was told never to contact a member of the Stark family again. Both Jarvis and his things were gone within the hour. Tony didn't even find out until the next day.

Three weeks later he was starting his summer classes at MIT and discovered that his life there was going to be even worse than it had ever been before. It was the first time in his life Tony actually felt challenged by his work load, even though he still understood it far better than most of his classmates. It was also some of the largest age gaps he'd experienced among his peer group. Some of the people he went to school with were 12 years older than himself, or more!

The freshmen weren't so bad. He could handle them. With many as young as 18, it wasn't any more of a difference than he'd experienced before. It was the older students, the ones who were seniors or who were going for their doctorates that posed the biggest problem. They were rowdy. They got drunk. And most of them had poor enough judgment that they didn't much mind roughing up a mouthy 14 year old.

There was no one at MIT for him to reach out to. Jarvis was gone, Obie was too far away, and the school itself didn't have the systems in place to deal with a 14 year old student. The only reason he even got in was because of his brilliance and the fact that he was Howard Stark's son. And Tony knew himself, knew he'd learned bad habits from his father when it came to testing the patience of others, but that didn't mean he could stop himself either.

By the time Tony hit the Fall semester, he'd broken three bones. Luckily, it was at that time when he met a junior named James Rhodes. Rhodes wasn't a huge guy, but he was big, big enough to stand beside Tony and make others think twice about picking on him. Plus, miracle of miracles, he didn't seem to mind that Tony was so much smarter than he was. He turned to Tony for help on his projects and homework more often than he did his teachers.

Rhodey had three younger siblings, he explained once when Tony asked why he bothered to look after the younger boy. Tony wasn't nearly as annoying as they were, but he did remind James of them. His little sister, especially, had problems with bullying at her school and if James couldn't be there to stop them, at least he could be there for Tony.

After that, life started to get better. Rhodey wasn't really much one for frat parties and wild drinking, so it kept Tony farther away from those situations, too. Rhodey had other friends, as well, and he called on them to keep an eye out for his little buddy whenever he couldn't. It made Tony feel protected, secure. It also taught him about the power of alliances, and how the right ones could change your life.

Tony began reading up on a lot of psychology, focusing on how hierarchies were formed and how to get people to do what you wanted. It started after a conversation with Rhodey's latest girlfriend who was studying to be a therapist. It didn't take long for Tony to soak up the information. He'd always been a fast learner and this was something he felt he desperately needed to know.

After that, he started watching people, paying attention to how they interacted with each other. He figured out who had the power, who had the most friends, who would be the most useful in which situation. It was fascinating.

Then came the next portion of his plan, where he implemented that knowledge. He insinuated himself into the circle of the head of the most popular fraternity on campus, helping him pass a class that he would have otherwise failed. He also used his dad's credit card to order them a shit-ton of booze and live band, a good one, for their next party. It became an unspoken rule around campus that anyone who messed with Tony Stark messed with Bi Kappa Pheta.

Next came the Robotics Team, which Tony joined and carried all the way through the world championship, designing his first AI along the way. It was one of the world's most advanced, despite Tony's loving name for it of Dum-E. The next year, Tony had secured his spot as the Captain of MIT's most successful and popular team. Things became a bit more complicated when he had to up the stakes for the Administration, though.

It was child's play to hack into his father's PA's email and send a note to the school saying that Howard wanted to donate the money for a new wing. It was much, much harder to cover up the donation from Howard with some creative accounting. Luckily, through more hacking and false emails, Tony managed to keep the SI accountants from getting too alarmed and running to his father. If no one _told_ Howard, he'd never notice.

Rhodey had watched it all with fascination, even helping Tony here and there by playing a part or getting him in touch with the right people. By the time he was done, Rhodey was just looking around himself and staring in wonder. He shot Tony a wide-eyed look that was accompanied by a smile and a comment that Tony would remember for the rest of his life.

"Damn, Tones, you're gonna rule the world, aren't you?"

Before that moment, Tony had never really thought of the future past trying to make his father proud and one day taking over Stark Industries. With that one statement, though, that off-hand comment by a friend, it was like a whole new realm of possibilities opened up in front of him. For the first time in his life he knew exactly what he wanted, and he wanted it for himself, not his father.

So, once again, he started to watch, started to learn. But now the stage was bigger and there were a lot more players involved. He watched the politicians, the businessmen, the news anchors. He started forming alliances early, taking a note from his financing class about compound interest. An investment now would pay off so much more in the future.

His father didn't even notice, of course, but Obie did. As always, he reached out to Tony to give him a helping hand. He introduced Tony to the right people, pointed him in the right direction when he wasn't sure which way to go, and was always there to give a good piece of advice.

When Howard died, it was Obie who picked up the alcohol-soaked pieces of Tony's life. He fit them back together and got Tony back to work. He took the reins of SI while Tony drowned himself in blueprint after blueprint for new weapons. It wasn't until he turned 21 that he really actually stepped into his role as CEO with Obie at his side.

For a while, running the company and coming out with new products distracted him from his end goal. There just weren't enough hours in the day for everything to fit. Eventually, Tony realized that he was going to have to reprioritize. He stepped back from the business a bit, just a touch, and let Obie see to that sort of thing. He trusted Obie implicitly, after all.

Then Afghanistan happened, and Tony's entire life changed again. Everything he'd believed was turned upside down and, to top it off, the man he trusted most in his life had betrayed him. The funny thing was, when Yinsen had told him who put the hit out on him, he almost hadn't believed it. Then the pieces started to slot into place and he figured out that he really should have seen this coming.

Three months later he was back in the US, and he wasn't the same man who'd left it. His eyes were hard and his gaze was sharp. He still smiled for the media, for those who needed to see it, but he didn't feel it inside. His first goal was to kill the man who'd put him through so much pain…His second one was to make sure it could never happened again.

A/N: What did you all think? Good? Bad? So, so?


	12. Evil Tony 8

A/N: LAST ONE, GUYS! This is a little different than the others. This one has also not been beta'ed yet. As soon as I get the edits back, I'll switch out the documents.

Prompt: Evil!Tony

Captivated By You

Tony had fucked up, like _really_ fucked up. In fact, he didn't think he'd fucked up so bad since the funvee incident that had ended with an electromagnet in his chest. He hissed in pain as he sat up, his entire back aflame from the lacerations and burns that covered its surface. His capture certainly hadn't been easy.

His eyes roaved the cell that SHIELD had thrown him into. It was no Hulk Cage, that was for sure, but it was still a pretty nice set up. He was flattered. Who knew that he rated an S Level danger rating? He'd always known that he was Fury's favorite.

He stretched where he lay on the simple, metal cot that was bolted to the wall. Footsteps in the hall told him that someone was coming. Probably Natasha, if they were smart. Even after being on the team with her, he didn't know her tells. She was the best for a reason, after all. But it wasn't Natasha who came into view of his cell, it was Bruce.

His head was ducked just a bit, stress and hurt lining every feature. His shoulders were tensed and, judging by his SHIELD-issue sweatpants and windbreaker, he'd had a rather recent Hulking out. Tony supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Bruce _did_ just find out his best friend was apparently evil. Which was a shame, really, because Tony hated that he'd been the reason for Bruce losing control.

"Hey."

Tony moved stiffly to stand directly in front of the reinforced glass that formed one wall of his cell, mindful of his injuries. He didn't like how skittish Bruce was acting, how he shrank back just a touch at Tony's approach. Bruce was acting like a dog that had been kicked too many times. It made Tony's insides crawl. Maybe Fury knew what he was doing by sending Bruce in here after all.

"They told me you killed Meriem Drew."

He sounded like he wanted nothing more than for Tony to deny it. The billionaire was pretty sure that he could say he didn't do it and Bruce would believe it just so he didn't have to believe the truth.

"She was a threat."

The man flinched at his works. Tony wished he could just reveal what was really going on, but he knew Fury was watching, knew most of SHIELD was watching. It was too much of a risk. He'd blow the whole plan. Still, seeing the distraught look on Bruce's face wasn't doing anything for his heart condition.

"She was a national figure, Tony!" Bruce was running a hand through his curls, green just barely starting to shade the edges of his skin. "She was the dictator of Madripoor! You almost started a war!"

Tony was far less concerned about that. He tried cracking a grin and shrugging like he would when someone of the team came down to drag him out of the lab after he'd been down there more than 24 hours. He was willing to try just about anything to lighten the mood.

"Eh. There was bound to be a rebellion in a few years anyway. The new dictator will be too busy taking over to focus anywhere else in the world."

"_**DO NOT TRY AND DEFEND THIS!**_"

There was a flash of green then and Tony actually stumbled back a bit. Under normal circumstances, he knew he didn't have anything to fear from the Hulk. Hell, the Hulk _loved_ Tony. But considering that Bruce wasn't currently feeling too happy with him, it wasn't likely his companion would be in a forgiving mood.

Bruce's hands were clenched into fists at his sides. His entire body trembled, quivering with the effort of keeping the Hulk contained. It was very, _very_ clear that something needed to happen quickly or Tony would be finding out if his cell was just as good at keeping people _out_ as it was at keeping people in. He approached the glass again, cautiously.

"Bruce?...Bruce, I need you to come back to me."

Angry green eyes were suddenly locked on his face and Tony implemented every skill he'd developed over the years for dealing with the press. He kept his expression calm, fearless. It was what spoke to the Hulk the most, but it also spoke to Bruce himself. If Tony seemed afraid of him, it would only push him over the edge faster.

"Hey, there. You with me?"

He dared to crack a little smile. He pressed one hand against the glass, trying to convey a sense of connectedness.

"Deep breathes, Bruce. You know I'm a fan of the Big Guy, but I'm a bit more in need of that big brain of yours right now. Come on. You got this."

He continued uttering soft reassurances and beckonings as his friend calmed himself down. By the end of it, Bruce looked worse than ever, sweating and trembling and breathing more than a little unsteadily. It made guilt gnaw at his innards. He wished he didn't have to cause all of this pain.

"What…What are you doing, Tony?"

Despite how tired the other scientist sounded, Tony couldn't help the bright smile that stretched across his face.

"Figured it out finally? There's more to this that you know, Brucie-bear." He leaned forward a bit, lowering his voice even though he knew it probably wouldn't stop SHIELD from listening in. He needed to tread carefully. "Nothing in life is simple."

There was a thoughtful look about Bruce now. He was trying to figure out what Tony was telling him. It was the same way he looked when confronted by a very confusing puzzle.

"SHIELD doesn't have all the information…You knew something they didn't…"

Eyes alight with the excitement of Bruce slowly figuring things out, Tony resisted the temptation to clap his hand together.

"There are a lot of things SHIELD doesn't know. Not about Drew and not about me." He glanced around the cell again. "I'm not going to be in here much longer, just to warn you. My partner will be here soon and things are going to get mighty uncomfortable for SHIELD when he does."

Bruce's eyebrows rose.

"You have a partner?"

Tony smirked at the mental image of the flurry SHIELD must have flown into at hearing that. Fury would be yelling loud enough to bring up a lung and all his little underlings would be scrambling back and forth like a frantic antpile.

"I've had a partner from the start, he's just a bit harder to find than I am."

SHIELD was probably running their records on everyone he had interacted with in the past year. Joke was on them, though, because his partner didn't _have_ any records.

"Who is it?"

He gave Bruce a disappointed look.

"You know I'm not about to tell you that."

Bruce cocked his head to the side just a bit. Tony could almost see his brain working.

"Why not? According to you he'll be here soon, anyway. It's not exactly going to stay a secret for long."

A delighted, startled laugh burst past Tony's lips.

"Are you trying to trick me, Bruce? Why, you're going to make me blush."

"_Tony_."

But it sounded more exasperated than annoyed and Tony counted that as a definite win.

"I'm not telling you who it is. It'd ruin the surprise."

Bruce just shook his head.

"Is that really what you're concerned about right now? Actually, nevermind. I'm really not all that surprised."

Tony snorted.

"You know, Bruce, you really are my favorite…I don't want you to get hurt." The other scientist stayed silent, waiting for Tony to continue. "It won't be long now. You might want to get out of here."

"You afraid I'll get hurt? Shouldn't you be more worried about that partner of yours?"

"I'm actually pretty sure he'd be more insulted by my concern than appreciative. He can take care of himself, but he's not gonna be very happy to find out that I'm here."

"Oh, you can be absolutely sure about that." came a voice from just slightly down the corridor.

Bruce whirled around and pressed his back against the glass of Tony's cage. The genius himself looked over his friend's shoulder to see Loki strolling towards them, cool as could be. He was in his full armor, cape fluttering behind him and the fluorescent lights of the SHIELD base glinting off his helmet. His eyes skimmed over Bruce before focusing on Tony.

"Are you unharmed?"

Tony shrugged.

"A few scrapes and bruises, but that's it. I'm fine. Any trouble getting in here?"

He could see on Loki's face that the genius wasn't fooling anybody.

"I do believe your Director Fury is only just discovering my presence." He approached easily, magic swirling around his hand as he went for the control panel. "And how are you, Dr. Banner?"

Bruce startled at being addressed. Tony could see his curls quivering back and forth. At the risk of sounding overly-sentimental, he really just wanted to reach out and hug the other man.

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to see you."

Loki hummed as he fiddled with the controls. With a click, the door to Tony's cell popped open. He was out in an instant, shooting Loki a grateful look before wrapping his arms around Bruce and pulling him close.

"It's gonna be okay, Brucie. I promise."

He held the man a moment longer before drawing away and crossing to Loki's side. The god slid one hand up his spine to rub the back on his neck. Tony purred at the touch before smirking up at the man.

"C'mon, babe. We've got a job to do."

A/N: Let me know what you thought of everything! I really appreciate hearing back from you guys!


	13. Christmas

Grown Up Christmas List

"Clinton Francis Barton, I will ring your neck!"

Loki Borison advanced threateningly on his go-to event planner, who was backing away from him with hands raised in a defensive position. His Winter Holiday Gala was his charity's biggest fundraiser of the year and he could not afford for anything to go wrong. The decorations were beautiful, tasteful and elegant enough for the highest of society yet not gaudy or ostentatious enough to be too much for a charity fundraiser. The food was perfect in both presentation and flavor and the staff was from a company they had used many times before and had always been happy with. Clint had always had an eye for the details, which made his major blunder on this affair all the more infuriating.

Loki jabbed a finger at the quaint stage that was being set up across the room. A slightly paunchy man was setting up the stage with an elegant piano and a microphone up front. His practiced movements and concentrated yet bored expression said he was help, but not the main performer. It didn't matter. The problem was obvious.

"I _explicitly_ told you not to hire a vocalist! Instrumentals only!"

Clint's back bumped against the bar and he jumped at finding himself trapped against Loki's advancing rage. His eyes darted around the ballroom, no doubt looking for Natasha, Loki's personal assistant, to save him.

"And I didn't! Not at first! I was gonna go with that quartet that's been getting so much attention lately but then Nat and I met up with Bruce and he recommended this guy! _Jesus_, Loki, wait until you hear him sing! I swear to God you won't regret it!"

Loki's teeth ground together and he all but growled. Across the ballroom, he could hear Chef Rogers calling his name to get his attention. He shot Clint a vicious glare and a, "You had best hope I do not," before turning away and striding towards the tall, blonde caterer. Chef Rogers was a gifted cook and ran his company with military efficiency. It helped that he was more than happy to provide for these events with the agreement that the charity would only have to pay for product and labor. He didn't make a dime.

"Chef Rogers, please tell me you are not about to give me bad news."

His laugh was deep and rich. Loki found himself smiling in spite of everything. Steve's joyful exuberance had always been a bit infectious.

"Actually, I wanted to introduce you to my best friend and business partner. We were talking the other day and I realized you'd never actually met him before." He waved forward a disgruntled looking man with shoulder-length black hair pulled into a ponytail. His eyes were wary in a way Loki had only seen in war vets and ex-cons. "Mr. Borison, this is Bucky Barnes. He does all of our desserts."

Suddenly, Loki's smile bloomed into a grin and he reached forward to shake the man's hand. He blinked in surprise when Bucky thrust his right hand forward, all but hiding his left arm behind his back, but he brushed it off.

"So you are the genius behind the pumpkin pie tarts from last year! I must confess, I think I ate more of those myself than I care to admit."

The corner of Bucky's mouth twitched and he inclined his head just a bit in thanks. They talked for a few more minutes before Loki moved on to make sure the rest of the Gala preparations were seen to. He'd almost completely forgotten about the vocalist disaster by the time guests began arriving. He was just greeting and making the rounds with the first arrivals when he was brought up short by the sounds of a piano.

He turned towards the stage to see two men had taken up their positions. A black man with a shaved head sat at the piano, hands gliding across the keys, but Loki's attention was drawn to the man at the microphone. He wasn't very tall, but he was well built in a way that said he cared about his appearance. His brunette hair was loosely slicked back and his facial hair was trimmed to perfection. He was drop dead gorgeous and, as he opened his mouth and launched into the first lines of White Christmas, Loki realized his voice was even more so.

The charity owner could do little more than stare at the man in wonder. The singer clearly enjoyed his work, letting his eyes fall closed as he swayed back and forth to the piano's notes. Forget ringing Barton's neck, Loki was going to give that man a bonus.

"Brother!"

Loki finally shook off whatever spell he'd fallen under to turn and see Thor approaching from across the room, flanked by his wife, Jane, and Frigga. They were dressed impeccably and it warmed Loki's heart to see them. After Odin had all but disowned him when he'd left the family oil business to found an environmental group and come out as gay, Thor and Frigga had refused to cut him out of their lives. They attended each and every fundraiser Loki hosted and Loki was pretty sure more than a few anonymous donations had come from Thor after he'd taken over the company for Odin.

The blonde wrapped him up in a hug that nearly lifted him off his feet. Loki grudgingly let him but brushed himself off with deep distain as soon as he'd been released. He shot Thor a glare that his brother brushed off with the ease of years of practice. Instead, he clapped an arm around Loki's shoulder.

"It is good to see you, brother! You have hardly had time to talk in the past month!"

"Yes, well that is what happens when one is responsible for running a charity during the busiest donation time of the year."

Thor laughed joyously and squeezed him closer.

"And what a fine job you have done! The Gala is as impressive as ever!"

Frigga stepped forward to clasp one of Loki's hands between two of her own. She was resplendent with her hair pulled back and Loki could not help but smile at her.

"Everything is beautiful, darling. It's wonderful to get to see you."

He leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek, using the movement as an excuse to pull away from his brother.

"It is wonderful to see you as well, mother, and you, too, Jane. You are both looking as radiant as ever."

Frigga's laugh was like the tinkling of wind chimes as she swatted him affectionately on the arm.

"We're family, dear, you don't have to butter us up with compliments like you do all your other guests."

Her tone was fond, though, and Loki found himself teasing right back.

"Oh, mother, but it's such a nice change of pace to actually _mean it_ when I compliment someone for a change."

The evening passed pleasantly as Loki drifted from one guest to another. Every few minutes his gaze would drift back to the stage where the entertainer was still crooning away into the microphone. Loki had to admit, even just to himself, that he had never been more jealous of an inanimate object in his life.

Loki wasn't shy about his sexuality and he certainly had never been shy about the activities that went along with that sexuality. Normally he was very careful to keep anything untoward away from the charity. Bad press could be deadly for everything he'd worked so hard to achieve. He wasn't sure if the entertainer was even interested in men. Any advances would have to wait until the Gala was over, at the very least.

He sighed and headed towards the bar, intent on getting himself a drink to settle his frustrations. In the background, he could hear the entertainer turning the microphone over to his personal assistant so she could welcome everyone and encourage them to donate. Natasha was brilliant at this sort of thing. She truly was. He was lucky to have her.

It didn't take long for him to get an Amaretto Sour in hand and the taste of sweet alcohol on his tongue. He closed his eyes and hummed contentedly as he rolled the liquid around in his mouth. It'd been almost as long since he'd indulged himself in alcohol as it had been since he's indulged with another human being. That was clearly the underlying reason behind the strength of his desires.

"Wow…I wish someone would savor _me_ the way you're savoring that drink."

Loki nearly choked on said drink but managed to swallow it down as he turned to look at the smirking man who'd managed to sneak up on him. The entertainer had his hands shoved in his pockets and was leaning back to give Loki a proper once over. Loki felt his body warm under his gaze.

"It has been a while since I allowed myself a drink."

The man stepped up beside him at the bar and waved down the bartender for a scotch.

"Yeah, I don't really have that problem. I've never been very good at denying myself things. I'm Tony, by the way."

This close up it was easy to make out the warm honey color of his eyes. They seemed to dance with mischief and happiness. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"I'm Loki. You have a wonderful voice."

The smirk turned into a grin, a hint of nostalgia shining through those eyes of his. It took Loki's breath away to see it.

"Thank you. My mother was the one who taught me how to sing." He shrugged. "Dad wasn't so thrilled with the idea."

Loki tipped his glass in the other's direction.

"Now that is a sentiment I know well. But I am glad you did not bend to his will. It would have been a shame not to have met you tonight."

Tony snorted and took a sip of his drink when the bartender slid it across to him, sliding back to her enough money to cover the cost as well as leave a generous tip.

"Who knows? Maybe you would have met me either way. If Dad had gotten his way then I'd probably have wound up on the other side of this thing, waving my checkbook around to make myself feel like a better person."

Loki's eyebrows rose, surprised that the man would actually say such a thing to his face but the entertainer seemed entirely unaffected by his faux pas. He instead let his eyes sweep across the ballroom before turning them back to Loki.

"But it's for a good cause, I suppose. Why not take advantage of some rich snobs if they want to make themselves look better? It gets the money to the people who need it, either way." He snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up. "It'd be like Robin Hood! Take from the rich and give to the poor, right?"

Loki couldn't hold back his snickers and he covered his mouth with one hand to hide them.

"I have never in my _life_ expected someone to compare my charity's fundraiser with Robin Hood. And we are an environmental group. We help keep the world clean, so the money doesn't exactly go to the homeless or some such."

Tony nearly dropped his glass.

"_Your_ charity?"

His voice sounded strangled and his eyes were wide with surprise. Loki only snickered more.

"I see you did not recognize your employer."

"Um, yeah, no. Pepper usually gives me the lowdown on my client but since this job was proxied through that asshole Clint-I mean, that hardworking, dedicated individual, Mr. Barton."

Loki reached out to pat Tony's shoulder reassuringly.

"Not to worry. I am quite aware he is an asshole…and I would never use the word 'hardworking' to describe him. Having him as an event planner is like dealing with a bag of cats."

Tony gave a bark of laughter.

"More like a bag of pigeons! That guy's all over the place! In all seriousness, though, you throw a nice party."

"I have had a bit of practice. I can only hope it will be enough for us to reach our donation goals for the year."

Tony grinned and stepped in a bit closer.

"I'm sure you will. The holiday season always makes everybody feel more generous than they normally would. I guess its Christmas magic and all that."

His tone sounded surprisingly sincere and Loki couldn't help but let the surprise slip across his face. Most adults couldn't muster that level of feeling for Christmas magic while keeping a straight face. Tony didn't seem bothered.

"I've always kind of loved Christmas, you know? It was the only time my family ever actually acted like a family…I'm pretty sure some years it was the only time we were all in the same place at the same time."

He frowned, but it was more thoughtful than sad. Whatever had happened during his childhood, he seemed to have come to terms with it. Loki couldn't help but wonder, though, what kind of parents he must have had that he only saw them both at the same time on Christmas. Not even Odin had been that bad, even if he'd spent most of his time disapproving of every little thing Loki did.

"I used to decorate the house with my mother the day after Thanksgiving every year," Loki volunteered. "I take decorating very seriously."

Tony gestured around the hall.

"I can tell."

"I hate to admit, but that is actually Mr. Barton's work."

Tony snapped his fingered with an exclamation of, "Drat!" and they were soon both laughing. Loki didn't think he'd gotten so much enjoyment out of a conversation in quite some time. Tony glanced over towards the stage, where Natasha was nearing the end of her speech.

"Well, it looks like I'm going to have to go soon. Make a deal with me?"

Loki chuckled again.

"I confess I have always been rather partial to deals. What is your proposal?"

Tony's return smile might have been described as predatory if it didn't have such warmth behind it.

"I've got something special in mind for my next song. If you like it, you let me take you out for coffee."

"And if I don't like it?"

"Then _you_ take _me_ out for coffee to sooth my wounded ego."

Loki snorted in a rather undignified fashion but hurried to cover it up.

"And if I am not gay?"

Tony's grin said he didn't believe that possibility for a second.

"Then I guess I just made a royal ass out of myself."

"Very well, then. I would hate to know I wasted my charity's money on someone who could not get back to the stage on time." Tony laughed as he turned away, but Loki wasn't done yet. "And Tony? I will be listening."

Tony's grin nearly split his face as he raised his scotch in a toast and scampered off. Loki saw him talking excitedly to his pianist in hushed tones as Natasha reintroduced them back to the stage. They climbed the stairs and Tony took the microphone back with all the grace of someone who belonged in the spotlight. The glass of scotch had disappeared somewhere along the way.

"I don't know about you all, but I'm feeling pretty inspired by the feeling in the air this evening, ladies and gentlemen. If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the great man who brought us all together this evening. This man spends the entire year trying to help improve our planet and make it a better place for the rest of us to live, not just a few weeks during the winter months! He's pretty much my personal go-to for when a kitten needs saving from a tree." He paused for the light laughter that swept the room before sobering up and continuing on. "That kind of selflessness is something this world could use a little more of. I dedicate this next song to him, because I think it truly speaks to the good he is trying to give back to all of us."

With a nod at his pianist, the first notes of a song Loki had never heard before began to fill the room and then Tony began to sing.

"_Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee. I wrote to you with childhood fantasies. Well I'm all grown up now and still need help somehow. I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream!_"

The crowd was hushed, enraptured by the performance, and Loki was no different. He felt himself pulled closer to the stage, but at the same time felt as though he could not move at all.

"_So here's my life long wish, my grown up Christmas List…Not for myself, but for a world in need!_"

The music swelled and Tony's eyes flicked to catch Loki's own, holding that gaze as he sang what was clearly the chorus of the song.

"_No more lives torn apart, that wars would never start, and time would heal all hearts! And everyone would have a friend, and right would always win, and love would never end! This is my grown up Christmas List._"

The smile that was sent Loki's way felt like a sucker punch to his gut and he felt himself licking his lips even as he watched, completely enraptured.

"_As children we believed the grandest sight to see was something lovely wrapped beneath our tree! But Heaven only knows that packages and bows can never heal a hurting human soul!_"

Tony's eyes finally slipped closed as he launched into the chorus once again. Loki could tell even through his own befuddlement that this song clearly spoke to the entertainer on a personal level. It was clear he connected to it and, by doing so, he was connecting every other person in the ballroom.

"_What is this illusion called the innocence of youth? Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth!"_

His hands came up to cradle the microphone on its stand and he sang into the piece of equipment like his very life depended on it. It was breathtaking and it put every single one of his earlier songs to shame.

"_No more lives torn apart, that wars would never start, and time would heal all hearts! And everyone would have a friend, and right would always win, and love would never end! This is my grown up Christmas List-This is my only life-long wish! This is my grown up Christmas List._"

Tony's eye fluttered open once more as the song came to a close and the entire ballroom burst into applause. It seemed entirely not to matter, though, as his gaze sought out Loki's. The moment their eyes met, Loki felt such a rush of heat that he had to grab onto the bar to remain standing. Behind him, he vaguely registered the bartender making a noise of concern. She was a volunteer, and one he was very happy to have, but he didn't have the excess brain power to spare on her at the moment.

He pushed off of the bar and slipped into the crowd that dotted the floor. There must have been something about his expression that told people to stay away because not a single guest stopped him to talk. Or maybe it was more of that Christmas magic Tony was talking about. He approached the steps of the stage just as Tony was coming down them. Apparently it was the perfect moment for a piano solo. Loki couldn't agree more.

He and Tony stopped about a foot away from each other, neither speaking. There seemed almost as though there was some sort of bubble around them, freezing everything. Loki had no words to describe the feeling bubbling up in his chest. Across from him, Tony grinned. Loki was beginning to think it was his default setting.

"Yeah. I feel exactly the same way."

Loki laughed, almost, kind of. The sound didn't really make it out of his throat all the way, but he didn't really care. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them in a single stride. His hands itched to run across Tony's cheek.

"So…Coffee."

He really couldn't form any more words than that while those honey brown eyes were pinning him down. A flush of excitement was crawling its way across Tony's skin so he knew, at least, that he was not alone in his desires.

"Yeah…Coffee. I like coffee. And I'd really like coffee with _you_."

This time, the laugh made it past Loki's throat and came out breathy. He couldn't have wiped the obnoxious smile off of his face if he'd wanted to.

"Me too. I do believe you promised to take me out?"

The grin on the entertainer's face was blinding.

"Yeah! Of course! Just name a time!"

"Now?"

Tony's gaze flitted around the ballroom.

"Don't you need to hang out for the rest of your Gala?"

Loki waved his hand dismissively, mind on much more important matters.

"Natasha can handle it. Will your pianist be fine?"

"Rhodey? I'll never hear the end of it, but he'll make it through without a problem. It's a price I'm willing to pay."

Loki crooked an elbow out for Tony to take.

"Well, then. I do believe we have somewhere else we should be."

"Yeah…Hey, Loki?"

The black haired man turned to look at his companion out of the corner of his eye as they made their escape from the ballroom. He hummed in acknowledgement, but gave no verbal response.

"I just thought you should know, I'm adding you to my Christmas List."

Loki laughed, this one full and bright.

"That, my dear, is one item I can _guarantee_ Santa will be bringing."


End file.
